Sin with a Grin
by Wah-Keetcha
Summary: An ancient darkness is drawing children into the forest leaving the Guardians to fight a creature that doesn't need to be believed in to exist. Sequel to Where there is a Flame.
1. Chapter 1

Sin with a Grin

Summary: An ancient darkness is drawing children into the forest leaving the Guardians to fight a creature that doesn't need to be believed in to exist. Sequel to Where there is a Flame.

Author Note: Here it is folks! Like I said, the updates for this one will be erratic due to my work schedule (4 days away, 3 days home) so please hang in there if you deem it worthy. This is my holiday season gift to you all, so please enjoy it and drop a review if you deem it worthy!

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Chapter 1

It was the humming that caught her attention, a familiar tune that echoes through the wind. She turns her head and studies the line of trees looking for the source of the tune. The sledding hill was starting to clear out; kids heading for home as the sun that chased away the winter chill during the day allows the night chill to set back in across the clearing. She reaches down to grab at the tow rope hanging off her sled and looks back up the hill where a couple of kids are setting up to take their last sledding run for the night.

The humming continues, this time louder

She looks back at the tree line and walks forward, pulling her plastic sled- a Christmas gift- behind her as she works her way through the deep snow, intent on finding the source of the humming. The forest is silent, the sound of tree limbs clacking above accompany each crunch of her boots through the snow and the scraping of her sled. The humming is becoming louder and the tune more clear the further she moves into the woods. The sun finally moves beyond the hill and the shadows of the trees grow longer and larger, the eeriness causing the child to move with caution. She stops, looking around the woods as fear clutches at her chest. The tracks that should have been in the snow, imprints that would have allowed her to find her way back to the sledding hill are gone. The dead forest around her grows sinisterly dark and her breath begins to condense in the air as panic begins to set in.

There is a crunch in the snow

She spins around, gasping out a scream that is cut short abruptly

The clacking of the tree limbs as the wind blows through the barren trees hides the sinister laugh

* * *

Jack Frost crouches on a large tree limb watching as the thick snow begins to lightly coat the streets and roofs of the town below. He had just come back to Burgees after bringing a string of Nor'Easters to the New England towns, the children overjoyed with the extension to their break from school. Although the elemental should have been elated to be back amongst his first believers but his good mood dissipates quickly as he watches the somber gathering in the town's center. After 300 years the immortal has witnessed many of these types of ceremonies, ones in which the towns folk gather together holding candles that illuminate their tear stained faces while a member of the communities church says prayers.

He often wonders if the town gathered around his family and offered supports and prayers when he died and if his parents and sister found solace in the kindness of those people clutching the candles and standing close. This is a scene he's seen so many times the guardian has become almost immune to the sight but this time he can only be curious as to what has caused the community to gather.

To mourn

He moves from his crouched position to sitting on the branch fully, suspended high above the gathering but low enough to hear the words and read the small tags around the candles. Jack's heart sinks when he recognizes the photograph of a young girl immortalized in the printed image.

"We gather here tonight to show support for Tabitha Coals and her family" the Church representative begins and Jack listens respectfully as he continues but frowns when he doesn't recognize the child's name right away. Since the children started believing in him more Jack made it a personal side mission to learn every young mortal in Burgees. The gathering listens and offer support to the distraught parents but eventually the citizens extinguished their candles and dispersed while the parents and siblings openly grieve. Jack watches with concern as Jamie and his friends walk home with their parents, knowing that none of the believers had seen him lurking in the trees. Jack raises his staff and leaps from the branch before dropping silently to the ground behind the raise platform the church official had been standing on during the community prayer. Invisible to the remaining adults the elemental moves quietly by them to where he can view the small memorial, his staff lightly touching the plastic sled wrapped in ribbon and surrounded by toys and candles. Jack crouches low and tries to read the newspaper clipping the best he could, his eyes squinting as he skims over the words he knows as frustration coils in his stomach.

"Come back to the church, we can speak there." The representative states, his kind face offering family support as they give the memorial a final look and walk off, the distraught sobs of whom Jack assumed to be the child's mother resounding loudly. Jack looks around the area once more before gently snatching the newspaper clipping from the ensemble and taking to the air quickly, the wind sensing his inner turmoil as it helps send the light winter spirit to his destination quickly. Jack lands with a dull _thump_ on the narrow window sill of Jamie's new window, peering in as his young friend begins to settle in for bed. Licking his lips in hesitation Jack gently taps the window with the hook of his staff, sparking frost to grow across the glass pane and Jamie to twitch towards the sound. Jack gives a small wave as the eleven year old quickly scrambles to open the window.

"Jack!" he greet happily at the lithe spirit works his long legs through the narrow window then his torso before settling into a crouch and allowing the mortal to wrap his spindly arms around him.

"Hey Jamie, thought I'd come by and visit." He states and watches as the smiling child seats himself on the desk chair.

"I'm so glad you came! Have you ever seen my new room? Isn't it great!?" the boy asks rapidly, excitement of seeing his friend over riding the sadness he'd just been present for at the gathering. Jack smiles gently and makes a show of looking around the bedroom, his blue eyes committing every new feature to memory. The fire that had destroyed their house caused Jamie to lose everything he'd once had in his room.

Although, if Jack was honest with himself Jamie had more possessions in his room than Jack and his family had in their whole _house_.

But that was neither here nor there and barely a concern for the immortal now.

"Yeah… it's less cluttered." Jack remarks, still gazing about the room before dropping his gaze back to the squirming youngster on the desk chair. Jack can't help but feel a little regret in having to ask the happy and lively child exactly what happened with the girl.

"Jamie, what's going on? I saw the vigil in town.." he allows the silent question to hang and watches as the squirming child becomes still and focused, his yes growing sad as he looks downward at the floor.

"Tabby was out sledding a week ago. She didn't come to school the next day. Or the day after." Jamie admits softly, swinging his leg a bit. Jack wouldn't be much of a guardian if he couldn't detect the deep sadness in the believer's voice.

"You knew her then?" He presses, offering a comforting hand on the growing shoulder as Jamie gives a small nod, still averting his eyes.

"Yeah, she moved into town over break. We sat next to each other in home room every morning." He explains and sighs sadly; his narrow shoulders trembling as his chin join in. Jack shakes his head sadly and gently pats the mortal's warm shoulder.

"What happened?"

Jamie is silent for a few minutes before he brings his sad eyes up to look right at Jack, the tremble in his chin growing as he curls into himself.

"She was out sledding over at the field, you know the left side… and I guess she walked off into the woods. When she didn't come back with the other kids her mom called the police." Jamie sobs loudly then, his whole body curling into itself. After three hundred years of solitary wanderings Jack isn't exactly _sure_ how to comfort the child but tries his best anyway. Long arms wrap around the grieving child and pull him into Jack's naturally chilling embrace but Jamie doesn't seem to care if the cold seeps through the thin sleep shirt.

"Alright, it's alright." Jack soothes, trying to allow the youngster the time he needs but the need to know all the facts before he can move forward.

"Did they find her Jamie?" he asks softly and Jamie seems to shudder harder in the immortal's arms and that's the only answer the immortal needs. Gently he pushes the teen back from his shoulder and tilts his chin so Jack and look directly into his eyes.

"It gets better Jamie. It gets better I promise you. The pain you are feeling fades and eventually all you will remember are the good things." He states as more tears slip down the mortal's freckled face in large drops to become frozen as it touches Jack's skin.

"You promise?" Jamie asks in a sobbing hitch and Jack gives him a small grin.

"I wouldn't lie to you Jamie." He states solemnly and the brown haired boy gives him a nod before wiping away his tears.

"I listened to you… Me and Sophie. We haven't gone near the woods." He assures and Jack feels his heart swell with pride.

"That's good. Please, please remain _out_ of the woods alright?" he demands again and Jamie gives a shuddering nod.

"After what happened to Tabby I don't think I'll go into the woods _ever_ again." He replies furiously, allowing the sadness that had been present a moment before is replaced with a bitter anger Jack can see swirling violently in his brown eyes.

"You can't make hasty decisions like that after something bad happens. I thought you wanted to be an archeologist? They are out in the woods all the time." Jack reminds gently, hoping to steer his young friend away from making decisions in childhood that will impact his future.

"I-I know… I just…" Jamie trails off, shaking his head and moves away from Jack back to his bed. Jack watches and slowly backs towards the window, recognizing the signs of someone who wants to be alone with their grief.

"It gets better Jamie." Is all he can offer before slipping back on the narrow window and easing it down till no cold air can escape. With a final look at his young friend Jack leaps into the breeze and moves along the air towards the sledding hill. The wind howls violently and throws the immortal around but Jack is use to the rough treatment and uses it to his advantage to bring his narrow body into the darkened woods quickly. Jack's feet slam into the crunchy snow with enough force to create a thick spray of icy crystals.

"WHY DID YOU DO THIS?!" he roars into the darkened forest, staff held out in a defensive stance ready to strike at shadows. He can _sense_ it, the darkness lurking behind the trees and bushes the laughter echoing out of the shadows as Jack moves in a small circle, eyes darting around anxiously. The darkness is there but it is _old_, the feeling of it still sinister and evil but not as vibrant as what he felt that day when he warned Jamie to stay out of the woods. His breath catches in his throat, anger coiling in his stomach at the failure.

His failure to protect a _child_

Tears burn behind his eyes and he blinks furiously an angry snarl curling his lips back

"I _will_ find you." He quietly vows, his words carried by the lashing wind that had gathered around him. With a final look around the shadowed forest Jack takes to the sky with a growl.

"Take me to Santoff Claussen." The wind happily obliges, the strength of the gusts encouraged by the elemental's anger and rolling emotions.

* * *

Nicholas St. North sits huddled over at his work bench, goggles magnifying the intricate detail of his newest invention as he lightly taps at the ice with tiny fingertip tools. The fire behind him blazes away in the hearth and the elves move about the room performing small duties while the master toy maker works and hums along to the antique record player in the corner.

"This song… from my boyhood." The Russian announces happily as the track switches and a classic Russian temp picks up, bringing the toy maker's fingers to tap against the work top and his heels to hit the floor boards as the tempo picks up speed. The music drives the toy maker into a sculpting frenzy as he begins to etch away at a larger section of the toy. The elves bounce along with the music, their bells jingling happily as they work. The energy inside the work shop is lively and energetic ad North happily laughs at the elves antics, taking a break and stretching his back carefully.

"NORTH!" the shout accompanies the slamming of the workshops window and a vicious gust of bone chilling air that causes the roaring fire to sputter and struggle to burn. North turns to glare at the visitor, annoyed at the inconsiderate entrance.

"Really Jack, that is no way to enter another's home." He scolds but the elemental brushes the words aside, his words frantic and body language erratic.

"There was a child in Burgees who _disappeared_. No trace. She was just _gone_." He explains quickly, voice harsh and lacking its usual cocky edge. North frowns, he'd never see the younger guardian act in such a manner and stands, intent on stopping Jack's agitated pacing.

"Jack, calm down." He tries, reaching out to place a soothing hand on the narrow shoulder but Jack quickly dances away, his blue eyes growing haunted for a second before returning to the nervous agitation.

"No, no North. The kids are in _danger_." He informs, nearly hysterical as his chest heaves for air. North's eyebrows shoot to his hairline at the mention of children in danger and quickly works at calming the trembling, nearly hyperventilating teen so he can get more information.

"Jack, you need to calm down and tell me what has happened." North demands, taking the erratically pacing immortal by the shoulders and physically stopping his movement. Jack's hand brings the hooked staff upward in an attempt to strike out but the warrior simply bats it aside before bringing his face in close to Jack's, meeting his eyes.

"Calm. Down." He orders and for a moment Jack stops breathing, his body shaking violently but eventually Jack takes a deep heaving breath and blows it out, sense flooding back into his eyes as he finally nods. North holds the teen for a moment longer before setting him back on his feet.

"Now, tell me what has happened." The large Russian states, giving Jack a moment to compose his thoughts.

"There was a girl in Burgees who went missing… she was out sledding near the woods. She's gone North, disappeared." He informs, breath still hitching painfully but the immortal states.

"Jack, children disappear in the world _all the time_, for reasons we cannot bring ourselves to understand fully." North informs, wishing that he was able to teach the child this lesson later on in his guardianship. It was a lesson none of them liked to learn and it always _hurt_ to hear a child losing their life due to something beyond their control.

"No. No, you don't understand. It wasn't a _humans_ doing." Jack stresses, catching the older guardian off guard with the acceptance he can see behind the blue eyes.

"Did you think that after three hundred years I haven't _seen_ the cruelty a mortal – even an immortal- can inflict upon another?" He allows a bitter laugh, so out of place for a jovial, carefree child like Jack. North shakes his head sadly at the idea but can't help but acknowledge the insight of a child left to his own devices for so long.

"I am sorry to assume Jack." He apologizes but Jack simply brushes it aside with a wave of his hand, telling North it is a subject the immortal teen would rather not touch upon.

"How do you know it wasn't a human responsible for this girl's disappearance?" North presses gently, getting the subject back on track. Jack gives a shudder and steps away a moment later, his ice blue eyes growing dark.

"I sensed it."

"Sensed what Jack?"

"Darkness, an _old_ darkness North."

* * *

Author Note: So… how does everyone like it? Oh… I like the idea that it is Slenderman… very interesting plot twist…


	2. Chapter 2

Sin with a Grin

Summary: An ancient darkness is drawing children into the forest leaving the Guardians to fight a creature that doesn't need to be believed in to exist. Sequel to Where there is a Flame.

Author Note: Woooo chapter 2, before my work week no less! We're getting a major storm this weekend while I am up at the barn. So excited! Shoot me a review if you deem it worthy!

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Chapter 2

"Let me get this straight." Bunnymund deadpans from across the table, his arms crossed over this chest. North shoots the Pooka a withering look but allows the guardian to speak his mind. Jack glares over at the grey furred warrior from beneath his hood, expressionless but tense.

"_You_." Bunny emphasizes by pointing one clawed toe over at the high backed chair Jack is curled up in "sensed some ancient evil lurking around in the woods after a little girl disappeared?" the tone and huffing laugh that accompanies the statement causes Tooth to wince and glance over at the youngest member in sympathy. She had been the source of Bunnymund's irritation and laughter early on in her career as a guardian until she proved herself someone to be listened too instead of mocked. Jack curls even further into himself, the hood falling further over his eyes as he simply stares out.

"Bunny, Jack is elemental spirit. He can sense when something is wrong with _nature_." Tooth tries but the Pooka scoffs and leans back in his chair, propping his long feet up on the carved table.

"Pooka's can too Tooth, we're animal spirits. I haven't sensed anything." He retorts while settling back further into his chair only to be startled out of his cocky position when Jack leaps from his curled up position to stand on the table top, his curved staff slamming into the polished wood with enough force to produce an angry spark of icy frost that skitters across the top, curling in tight angry patters as the teen snarls.

"When was the last time you came out of your _hole_ rabbit?" Jack growls aggressively, his body coiled and tense while the teens formerly ice blue eyes turn a dark midnight blue. North can clearly see the change from his position and feel the air temperature drop drastically. Tooth gives a shiver and glances over at Sandy who is making quick signals above his head.

"You got something to say to me mate? A bone to pick perhaps?" Bunny jibes a sneer to his words even as the tall warrior stands to his full height and flexes his own muscles for a fight.

"Just stating the facts _Bunny_. You don't go to the surface during winter, much less spent time in Burgees beyond dropping eggs. There _is_ an _evil_ there." Jack seethes the temperature dropping rapidly as the curls of frost turn into a thickening layer of ice.

"Bunny, Jack. Sit down." North orders, his blue eyes narrowing and tone leaving no room for argument. Neither of the two guardians move, their attention focused solely on each other.

"I SAID _SIT. DOWN. NOW!_" North roars, slamming a burly hand down onto the table top with enough force to crack every bone in the immortal's hand. Tooth and Sandy remain silent, watching as the three enter into a battle of wills. Jack remains standing on the table top, his staff raised and waiting while Bunny is equally prepared to fend off an attack. North slams his fist once more, this time causing the table to shudder violently and throw Jack's tightened frame off balance enough to break the eye contact between the Pooka and elemental.

"SIT." North snaps, shoving the Pooka back into the chair and keeping him in the position with a single arm. Jack retreats several steps, moving backward cautiously as his narrow shoulders tremble slightly with anxious energy. Sandy moves to guide the teen back off the table with a stream of sand but the teen twitches away from it, slowly stepping back onto his chair and curling up once more as if nothing had happened. The temperature in the room returns to a normal level and Tooth relishes the warmth, her body absorbing the heat quickly.

"I will not be present for such a display of violence between two _guardians_." North stresses, disappointment clearly visible on his face as he addresses the two.

"Jack, give us facts. We need more than you simply sensed something." Tooth pleads; reaching out a hand to touch the teen's forearmed but withdraws it quickly when he flinches away. A thick silence falls on the group as they wait until finally Jack licks his lips and pulls down his hood.

"I can't explain it. I saw something, a shadow in the forest beyond Jamie's grandmother's yard." He begins and runs a pale hand through his silver hair before continuing. "It was a few months ago, back around Halloween I guess." He stops as Bunny moves to put his elbows on the table, his green eyes narrowing slightly but he remains silent with ears attentive.

"I didn't get a _good_ look at it, but I could _sense_ it." Jack states softly, picking at the hem of his cuff and staring at the tabletop.

"Could it have been Lantern?" Bunny quietly asks, drawing Tooth to look over at North who is looking elsewhere. Beside her Jack gives a firm shake of his head, bringing his eyes up to gaze across at the Pooka.

"No, I've been around Jack Lantern, I know how his power _feels_. Also, he tends to be loud when he's stumbling around the woods, laughing his drunken head off. This _thing_ wasn't stumbling, it wasn't laughing and what I was sensing was _anger_ and _hatred_." Jack argues back and the others nod. They had all met Jack Lantern the happy Irishman who moves through the mortal world swinging his turnip- which holds the lump of hot coal the Devil himself threw at him- as children go from door to door and wander about towns gathering candy and treats during Halloween.

"Alright, let's say something _is_ lurking in the woods and it is luring children into its clutches… does anyone have _any_ idea as to who or what it could be?" Bunny questions, still not believing there is a reason for them to panic. Bunnymund doesn't mean to sound so callous and he does understand that when a child goes missing from the world it is a tragic event and for someone like Jack, who is new to his position as a guardian it is a hard lesson to be learned.

Not all children can be saved

It's not because he slacked off in his duties or wasn't attentive enough to what was going on; it is simply a matter of the mortal world that they've all come to accept. Bunny can clearly remember the day Tooth sought him out in hysterics because she gathered a freshly lost tooth from a child who was terminally ill in the hospital.

The child had passed on just as Tooth was leaving her a gift under the hospital pillow.

The realization that althou gh she was a guardian and it was her job to protect the children of the world she was and still is unable to protect them from _everything_. That was a harsh lesson and the fairy has since hardened herself to the fact and has taught her baby fairies how to handle the inevitable.

"We can ask some of the other spirits." Tooth suggests and North gently strokes his long beard thoughtfully, his large fingers tapping at his chin occasionally.

"We could, but that would take forever. Besides, I don't know where to find half of them in the off seasons anyway." Bunny states and Sandy casts a few symbols above his head, announcing that he could possibly ask a few while on his rounds that night. Out of them all Sandy typically sees more spirits than the others, his work taking him all over the world on a consistent basis.

"I think I may have an idea as to what it might be." North suddenly states, turning on his heel and walking away from the table to the writing desk the toy maker works at. He rummages around for a few minutes, mumbling to himself as he searches. Small chimes announce the arrival of a band of elves who move amongst the chairs offering plates of cookies and mugs of cider and eggnog to the waiting guardians. Tooth shoots Jack a stern look when the teen refuses to take anything, threatening the persistent elf with an instant freeze if it didn't leave him alone.

"When was the last time you ate?" she questions, eyeing the thin teen. Since becoming a guardian the fairy has picked up on some of Jack's strange habits, one of which happens when the elemental is focused on something he forgets to give his body nourishment. He attempted to tell her once when he was visiting her palace that he didn't _need_ to eat, that his body didn't work the same as the others did. She called bull on that one and guilt tripped the younger spirit into eating a whole plate of grapes and a grapefruit at one meal.

"I had something a few days ago." He returns as he freezes the elf that hadn't taken the hint and continued to offer the elemental a plate of frozen fruit treats. The small creature gives a small gasp and freezes to the floor, his eyes bugging out of his small head comically.

"Jack. Eat the frozen banana." Tooth orders in her best motherly tone and looks over to see Sandy also signing the same demand. With a suffering sigh the teen takes a frozen kiwi slice off the plate and pops the tart fruit into his mouth, crunching loudly before returning his attention to tracking North's movements.

"Do you need help?" Bunny asks, cocking one long ear to where the large toy maker is crouched over one of the desk's massive drawers, papers and various items being tossed aside carelessly.

"No, no. I know what I am looking for-ah haha." He announces happily, pulling up the small book. Tooth's eyes narrow dangerously at the sight of the object as she hisses softly.

"Why do you still have that?"

"Believe it or not, it holds many _good_ things. We have been over this Tooth." North states firmly, his accent becoming thicker as he stresses certain words. Jack switches his attention between the two and then cocks his head to the side slightly in a silent question while looking directly at Bunnymund. The Pooka makes a few hand gestures that Jack can read as 'wait' and 'don't ask' before turning his attention back to North.

"I was translating the last few pages and came across this." He informs, sliding an aged and thin piece of parchment across the table top to rest in the center. Sandy and Bunny dart forward to examine the rough sketch before sitting back down, unimpressed with it. Tooth refuses to look at it, her violet eyes growing dark at the idea of North _translating_ the words from the evil book. Jack takes his time as he examines the sketch, the squiggly marks around it distracting him for a second or two before he shrugs them off as unimportant. With a shaking finger the elemental brushes his fingers along the paper, the icy cold that is always at his command threatens to ruin the antique document but he clamps down on it painfully.

"This is… very old." He states off handedly and blows a puff of air up as his bangs fall into his eyes.

"Yes, written well before any of us were born as mortals I would figure." North remarks idly, watching as the teen crouches awkwardly over the document. Bunnymund also regards the stance but brushes it aside as Jack's usual elasticity. Without warning the teen slams his hand down into the parchment, his pale fingers splayed over the sketched image. The reaction is terrifyingly quick and before the other guardians can react the hooked staff is thrown from Jack's hand and the teen shudders violently.

"Jack!" Tooth shouts her wings pumping rapidly as she bodily shoves the teen away from the paper, Sandy's golden whip lashing out to remove the parchment from underneath the elemental's fingers while North bodily removes Jack from the tabletop. Bunny is up and beside North within a second, his long legs taking up the distance.

"Whoa…" Jack breathes quickly, his narrow chest heaving for air as North restrains his shoulders. Jack breathes deeply for a few seconds before gently tapping the thick arm.

"Y-you can put me down." He tries but the larger guardian shakes his head as Bunny checks the teen over. Jack dangles limply from North's arms, his blue eyes searching around frantically while Bunny gently checks his heartbeat by pressing one toe against the artery in his pale neck.

"Seriously, I am fine. I wasn't sure if that was going to work or not." Jack states irritably as Bunny nods to North and the teen in released, his bare feet hitting the floor with a _thud_ as he fixes the sweater and pulls up his pants, which have a bad habit of falling low on his narrow hips.

"Alright, I'll bite. What exactly where you trying to do just now mate?" Bunny asks, crossing his arms over his chest once more and cocking an ear, waiting for an explanation. Jack licks his lips and accepts his staff from Tooth as the fairly moves restlessly about, her worry for the younger member causing her to hover nearby.

"The paper is actually made from bark. I thought… that since it was once a _living_ thing in nature I could somehow hear it. Maybe get some information from it." Jack states and Sandy makes a few symbols over his head in the shape of rock formations, waves and then a large pointed star.

"Yeah, kind of like that Sandy, but I dunno maybe trees and leafy green stuff don't have voices." Jack muses and the others can only stare at him, silently wondering what is _wrong_ with the child. Jack, sensing their stares returns their looks before shrugging his narrow shoulders and gesturing towards the paper.

"It was worth a try!" he justifies half-heartedly and Bunny can only snort in response and shake his head, uncrossing his arms and gesturing towards Sandy to give him the parchment. The golden sand pushes the sketch over and the Pooka runs a curious eye over the sinister drawing.

"What exactly is this?" he demands, resisting the urge to pick the offending thing up and place it in the fire but settles for looking over at the larger guardian. North is staring down at the drawing, his thick eyebrows knitted together in a deep frown.

"The translations say—for what I can decipher and yes Tooth, I know I should have asked you but I know how you feel about it—it is a creature formed from the sins of its creator. It is a timeless entity that was formed by the- uh.. Experiments." North stumbles and Tooth gives a loud hiss then, her fingers clenching and unclenching in anger as her usually vibrant feathers ripple. Bunny gives a suffering sigh as the fairy continues to move back and forth with anger, spitting curses at them in various languages but mostly at North who keeps trying to interject.

"I missed something didn't I?" Jack asks quietly, inching away from the spitting, hissing fairy and over to where Sandy is standing watching the whole seen unfold silently. The two settle back, Sandy with a mug of eggnog and Jack with a frozen banana, their legs propped up on the table top.

"This isn't helping us." Jack remarks softly, chewing on the frozen morsel but more than willing to let the three other guardians duke it out before he gets involved. Jack is use to finding out about things after the fact and over the years he's learned to enjoy the show because usually the situation goes quickly downhill after that.

* * *

Author Note: Ramble, ramble, ramble, ramble. So, yeah. That was chapter two, not a whole lot going on. As for Slenderman, the 'lore' was actually created in an online forum and the images are fake, but there is a Native American story of tall, spindly, pale man like creatures that would abduct and eat people. I dunno, looks like everyone is going to have to wait and see where this story is going 'cause I don't even know. I am off to work till Friday night, so don't expect an update till the weekend! Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Sin with a Grin

Summary: An ancient darkness is drawing children into the forest leaving the Guardians to fight a creature that doesn't need to be believed in to exist. Sequel to Where there is a Flame.

Author Note: Sorry for the late update, but I was at work till Friday then had the holiday and funnily enough the day right before I go back up to work (when I should be packing) I wrote this little chapter. You folks are amazing and I am happy to provide you with my little story.

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Chapter 3

The children of Burgess were not the same. The death of their young friend seemed to take the joy and happy spirit right out of their eyes. Jack sat in the arms of the large pine tree watching the school playground below him as Jamie and his friends swung lazily on the swings, their boots scraping up hunks of frozen bark mulch. In the hours following the meeting with North the Guardian of Fun went against his title and nature and produced a sharp, icy film over the sledding hills in the area to make sure that the best hills near the forests were too dangerous for the kids to use. Any small frozen bodies of water in the area were rendered unusable with a touch of his staff.

He would rather the kids be _unhappy_ than unable to be happy ever again

The wind whips by him angrily, tearing at his clothes and hair as the elemental glares around the area with eyes narrowed against the glare of the sun coming off the snow. Below him the school bell sounds loudly causing the ageless spirit to jump and curse softly and he watches as the children begin an agonizingly slow shuffle towards the school building. Jamie glances upward towards the trees and gives a small wave with a red knitted mitten before following his friends.

"Are you really only concerned about _one_ child?" a cold voice asks from the branch to Jack's left. The elemental only takes a deep breath.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Jack replies with a sneer, his fingers tensing around the frozen wood of his staff.

"How'd you know I was here?" the other asks from the left, an edge of annoyance twisting his words as Jack allows himself a small smirk. It wasn't a matter of him _knowing_, the wind simply supplied the scent and the warning.

"That is for me to know, now who are you and what do you want." Jack snaps once more, this time allowing his blue eyes to slide over to the new spirit who is perched uneasily on the narrow branch. Obviously not an elemental judging by how the wind whipped by him, pulling at the fancy clothing that are unsuited for being out in the wilderness. The other is a spirit of about Jack's age with dark wild hair and a skin tone akin to warmer climates. Although there is a smile on his young face Jack doesn't see any joy or happiness behind the dark eyes, the smile is false and that sets Jack's skin to crawling.

"Ah, I see Aster never mentioned me after our little conversation. That's alright. I am Gabriel Gowdel." He introduces with an air of self-importance and a wild sweep of one narrow hand. Jack simply stares at him, his blue eyes narrowing slightly but giving no outward sign of recognizing the name. That seemed to take the wind right out of the other spirit's sails and his dark eyes narrow dangerously.

"Seriously? You have _never_ heard of me?" he asks with a dangerous edge to his voice. Jack shrugs one narrow shoulder and then gives a lazy, sarcastic smile.

"Should I have?" The simple question seems to anger the other spirit and Jack prepares himself for an attack, swinging his staff outward and driving his power into the wood. He learned long ago to treat all spirits with suspicion, the majority of his encounters over the past three hundred years often ended with Jack taking the brunt of their abuse before slinking off to lick his wounds in private. Even the other guardians are regarded with suspicion, the ingrained responses hard to change.

"Alright, you haven't heard of _me_, but I am a Patron Saint of children." Gabriel supplies. Jack purses his lips for a moment before standing, his body itching to move _away_ from the other spirit. He vaguely remembers hear of Patrons, the silent and grainy memory of his father rubbing calloused fingers over a pendant before the family set out to plant their harvest in the spring.

"What do you want?" he questions, watching the dark haired teen closely. Gabriel gives a shrug and stands slowly, presenting his hands in a non-threatening manner. This wasn't the first time the Patron had encountered a hostile elemental but the air around the silver haired teen screamed danger and hostility, the curved shepherd's hook held in a manner that tells the Patron the other is well versed in using it as a weapon.

"Do you know about what is wandering around in the forest?" Gabriel asks, getting right to the point. Jack watches him for a moment and the Patron shivers violently as the late winter wind whips by, his light clothing doing little to protect him while the elemental simply raises one pale hand, moving his long fingers as if stroking an invisible pet.

"One of the children disappeared." He supplies and the Patron simply growls in annoyance.

"I know what you are. I know you can _sense_ things and I also know that this town is special to you and therefor the children." Gabriel returns, his words causing Jack to go on the defensive. The lithe teen grows tense and focused, his pale blue eyes narrowing further as he stares at the other spirit with open hatred.

"You know nothing about me. For all I know, you could be that _thing_ that is lurking around." Jack seethes, swinging his staff to point at the chest of the other who regards the maneuver with open hesitation. The elemental will be the first to admit, he doesn't know everything. In his human life the teen had spent more time playing pranks around the settlement and making his sister and mother smile than sitting still to learn. Once immortal the winter spirit learned lessons quickly and one was to trust his instincts.

His gut doesn't like this person

Jack trusts his gut

"I am not hurting the children. _Patron Saint of Children_ is my title you ancient uneducated freak." Gabriel snarls and makes a sudden movement to the right which earns him a frozen foot, the ice encasing the appendage rapidly. The Patron curses loudly and looks to where Frost had been standing a second ago to find the tree limb empty, the wind whipping through the trees viciously.

"If you aren't the one hurting them, maybe you should be doing your job.. whatever that is." Frost's voice moves along the wind from an unknown location, causing the Patron to move his head in search of his location quickly.

"I am only trying to _help_! Is this how you treat someone who is trying to help?" He snarls, focusing his healing abilities on the ice encasing his foot. Within a few seconds the ice is gone, dripping from his foot and off the tree to form a sharp icicle.

"I may not know a lot about _Patron Saints_ and their jobs, but I do know when someone is trying to _help_ and being obnoxious. You are talking to the King of Obnoxiousness." Jack responds from three branches above the Patron, his staff still held out in a defensive manner. Gabriel shakes his head but simply makes a show of brushing dirt off his hands.

"Let me get to the point then. I know that you, being an elemental spirit can _sense_ things in nature that do not belong. This _thing_ does not _belong_, a fact that the both of us can agree upon right?" Jack simply continues his expressionless stare, blue eyes flashing silver as he wordlessly waits.

"My _job_ is to protect children who are not… destined to expire. This _thing_ is screwing with my—and the other Patron's jobs." Gabriel states stonily, crossing his arms over his chest.

"'Destined to expire' meaning, kids who were not meant to die right?" Jack presses and Gabriel resists the urge to drops his head into his hands and laugh at the immortal's simple nature.

"Exactly, kind of like _you_ actually." He states and Jack's eyes widen, his pupils constrict and suddenly the elemental is behind the Patron, his staff swinging in a well-defined arc, slamming into the Patron's back. Gabriel gives a shout and spins, catching the winter spirit with a flat fist in the throat causing the silver haired teen to stumble back clutching at the pale column.

"You know nothing about me." Jack snarls out, his voice strained and weak but the fight is still in his body, eyes shining with barely suppressed rage.

"You need to calm down Frost. I am trying to offer you help." Gabriel states, body still tensed as the elemental steps away. The two spirits stare at each other before Jack makes a sudden move, lifting the hand holding the shepherd's hook up high and before Gabriel can say anything else the wind howls and snaps around the elemental that leaps up into the invisible embrace. Jack Frost maneuvers quickly in the wind and hovers nearby, his face coming in close to Gabriel's with midnight blue eyes narrowed dangerously as he snarls quietly

"I don't _need your help_." Before allowing the wind to carry him up and away from the Patron spirit still standing on the narrow tree limb. Gabriel can only watch as Jack dances along the invisible wind, his staff moving waving and dipping as he moves.

"Finally… someone who is worth the challenge." Gabriel laughs before fading away.

* * *

Bunnymund had come to the surface, a wicker basket nestled into the crook of one arm. Contrary to popular belief the wondrous plants in his warren were not comprised of magically exotic plants. Pooka's are master gardeners, their ability to cultivate and grow the multiple colored tulips and long grasses that help create and decorate the Easter eggs is a magic all its own.

"Now, there was a big bed of Princess Pine in these woods." Bunny mutters to himself before he sets down the basket and pulls out an aged and faded map from his gold guards. Scenting the wind and taking in the area the tall warrior gets his bearings and picks up his basket. The wind howls by but lacks its usual ferocity.

"Damn snow." Bunny growls, moving through the forest towards the large patch of the tiny pine plants the Pooka needs to make the mint green dye for his eggs. The thick snow makes collecting the tiny plant difficult but the gold tops; visible under the snow makes the grey furred warrior laugh triumphantly. With a swipe of his long arm the six foot rabbit is able to clear away the light, fluffy snow to reveal the tiny plants underneath.

"Well, this should be easier than I thought." Bunny remarks to himself, kneeling down in the freshly cleared area the Guardian of Hope begins to pluck the long rooted plant from the ground in bunches, humming a tune from long ago as he works. The forest when he arrived was cheerful and bright with absolutely no cloud covering overhead, now though the forest begins to turn dark. Bunny's ears swivel as the natural forest sounds of chirping birds and winter insects fade out, leaving the darkening forests silent and barren of life. Bunny stops picking his bundles and begins to scent at the air, his ears perked and searching as the tall warrior works at locating the source of the ominous feeling curling up his spine. Pitch Black never produced such a feeling, even when Bunny was just starting out as a guardian just before the middle ages. The senses all prey animals are born with sings loudly for Bunny, his body tensing as his gut tells him _something_ is out there. Picking up his basket the tall warrior backs away from the spot, large ears still moving rapidly to place the source even as he brings the sharply curved boomerang out to be used.

"Maybe snowball was right…" he trails off and makes it far enough down the trail to where he can safely make a tunnel. With three thumps of his foot the Pooka jumps downward and allows the hole to seal behind him.

The happy yellow daisy that presents itself in the same spot slowly begins to wither, the yellow fading to a grey as the petals begin to shrivel.

A sinister laugh moves along with wind.

* * *

"It was strange North. On minute it was sunny and cheerful and the next my gut was telling me to _get out of the woods_." Bunny states later on as he leans against the master toy maker's large workbench nursing a mug of Phil's special eggnog.

"Well, I have finished translating the book." North states softly, his large hands trembling slightly as he pushes the papers closer to Bunny before leaning back in the wide backed work chair wearily. Bunny cocks his long ears in North's direction and gently sets down his mug before leaning over to read the scrawling handwriting. Slowly the Pooka slips the four pages behind each other, his horror at the descriptions and outcomes of experiments growing. Once he's completed the last page the warrior look at the former adventurer.

"This is.." he trails off, shock and incomprehension edging his words

"Not good Bunny. Not good at all."

"We must alert the others." Bunny states

"It's already been done."

* * *

Author Note: So, chapter 3. Gotta say, I love writing Gabriel. He is such a prick! Anyway, Happy New Year folks! I am up to work tomorrow till Friday so please don't expect an update till the weekend. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Sin with a Grin

Summary: An ancient darkness is drawing children into the forest leaving the Guardians to fight a creature that doesn't need to be believed in to exist. Sequel to Where there is a Flame.

Author Note: Soooo yeah. Update! Not a whole lot to say here other than please enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4

"Jack mate, I want to apologize for not taking you seriously before." Bunnymund states as the youngest guardian leaps through the narrow window, landing on the hardwood floor in a crouch. Behind him the wind howls past rattling the stained glass window and filling the globe room with a bone numbing chill. Sandy creates a narrow arm and gently shuts the window as Jack stands and brushes off stray snowflakes from his sweatshirt before pulling back the hood.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." Jack jokes back, his voice painful and raw but a mischievous smile twisting his pale lips. Bunnymund cocks a long ear at the elemental's voice and examines the teen for any damage or injury.

"Are you alright Jack?" Tooth questions, arriving with a tray of steaming cups as her smaller fairies flutter around their mistress, chirping loudly. Jack tenses his shoulders and makes an attempt to clear his throat but stops as pain slices through the area, a wince curling his nose upward slightly. Bunnymund notices the change and quickly moves into action, grabbing the teen's narrow wrist and dragging him across the floor to an empty seat at the engraved and polished table. Jack croaks out a protest but none of the others listen, the flurry of activity and shouts for medical supplies throwing the nearby Yeti's and Elves into action. Jack gives a loud yelp as Phil removes his sweatshirt, leaving the teen unprotected from the would be helpful assault of his fellow guardians.

"Alright…no ribs are broken, shoulders are still properly aligned." Bunny begins to rattle off, his large paws moving quickly over Jack's narrow torso and chest. Tooth and her fairies come fluttering by carrying bandages, salves and what Jack can only guess is a splint. In his haste the large Pooka neglects to watch the elemental's body language. Although his tolerance of physical contact has increased marginally from when he'd first been recruited, contact without his permission still causes the youngster to react violently. Sandy, noticing the way the silver haired teen is trying to twist away from Bunny and Tooth's attempts quickly begins to signal to his fellow warriors.

"Bunnymund, Tooth, you are scaring the boy." North bellows from where he'd just entered from, his large arms bogged down with numerous rolls of parchments and books. Bunnymund looks up quickly at the larger guardian's shout and his ears droop quickly as he takes in the rigidness of Jack's pale form. Blue eyes, widened with shock stare back at him as the narrow shoulders show each rapid breath the teen takes.

"I'm sorry Jack. I just thought…." He trails off, ashamed with himself for not abiding by the strict, unspoken guidelines for dealing with the elemental. It wasn't something they had ever really spoken about but there were _rules_ for dealing with the immortal.

"It's fine… you thought you were helping." Jack responds easily, his voice still choppy and painfully tight. Phil hands back the teen's knitted sweatshirt and undershirt which Jack snatches back and replaces quickly, settling the fabric over painfully thin chest.

"Jack, what happened to your throat?" Tooth implores, her violet eyes pleading, her wings beating rapidly as she hovers to Jack's right. The teen's eyes narrow slightly before turning his gaze back to Bunnymund.

"I met a _friend_ of yours… Gabriel –something-or-other." He snarls, hand tensing around his staff threateningly. Bunny hisses out a curse and quickly holds his paws up in a nonthreatening manner.

"Now listen Jack. Gabriel and I are _not_ friends." He states scathingly, annoyed that he'd forgotten to inform the young spirit of the other members of their community. Three hundred years without guidance it shouldn't have surprised anyone that the elemental guardian didn't know about the key players in their world. Jack's eyes remain narrowed and track any movement the Pooka makes, his stony expression giving no clues as to what he's thinking.

"Gabriel Gowdel?" North questions with a shocked edge to his voice.

"What is that little twit doing bothering a guardian?" Tooth demands, her annoyance plainly written on her features as the smaller fairies give a series of angry chirps and ruffle their feathers. Even Sandy makes a few vicious symbols above his head, expression sour.

"What did he want Jack?" Bunny questions gently as the teen takes in the reactions of those around him. Jack looks at the others once more before letting out a lungful of air, releasing the anger that had been rolling his stomach since his encounter with the other spirit.

"He wanted to help me with tracking down the thing in the forest. Said that it was messing with his job by killing children who aren't meant to die yet." He sums up, not wanting to bring up the fact that his mortal self wasn't destined to die when it did. He didn't want to bring up his suspicion that his drowning was not an accident.

Not now, anyway.

"He said her was a 'Patron Saint'." He finishes, casting a sideways glance over at North who is stroking his long mustache slowly.

"He wanted to _help_ you?" North presses after a moment and Jack shrugs one narrow shoulder, uncurling his long fingers from his staff as the others sit in their respective seats.

"Made it sound more like he wanted to _use _me." Jack clarifies with a hard edge to his words. Early on in his existence Jack had been naïve enough to believe that he was _needed_ and _appreciated_ by other spirits only to be turned on and blamed, beaten and then left alone after he wasn't needed anymore.

"One thing you should know about Gowdel Jack, is that he is a conniving and scheming spirit who is only focused on his job. He is also a sticky beak and obnoxious, he's tried to _use_ each of us in some way or another. None of us are his friends." Bunnymund explains. Jack gives a small nod and absently rubs his throat, making a painful attempt to clear it once more. Tooth coos at the teen gently and presses a steaming cup of tea into his hands with a silent demand he drink it.

"He's a good fighter." Jack remarks absently dipping a pale index finger into the steaming cup to cool the contents before sipping at it cautiously. Tooth smiles encouragingly at the teen while Sandy responds with rapid symbols above his head.

"You said it Sandy." North states and seats himself in his own chair.

"Bunny, did you see the creature?" Jack suddenly asks, his voice almost returned to normal but still tight. Tooth gives a soft hum in question and suddenly all eyes are one the Pooka, causing the warrior to scramble to get his thoughts back on course.

"Yeah, well.. no. I didn't _see_ it. But I _sensed_ it." He stumbles, running a paw over one long ear before recounting what happened to the others. Jack continues to sip at the cooled tea while he listens to the Pooka's tale and nods at the similarities. Bunny leans back in his chair once he'd finished and waits for any response from the others.

"So you sensed it too." Jack responds softly and the Pooka can only nod once.

"The woods felt strange, the animals went quiet and even though it was the middle of the day it might as well have been dusk." Bunny continues, the description of the sinister feel to the forest causing Tooth to give a shudder.

"What is it?" Tooth questions and finally North clears his throat, drawing the attention of his fellow guardians to where he is standing. Slipping on a pair of reading glasses the Russian begins to read from a piece of parchment, his accented words overpowering the background noise of the workshop.

"_It wasn't until the end that I realized the proudest moment in my life was to come from the creation of a creature without a soul. In my quest to understand the beings that worked in conjunction with nature I ensnared many, experimented on all and only a few remained to live to a breeding age."_ North reads, his words causing Tooth to snarl loudly and Jack to scoot his chair away from the enraged fairy. Bunnymund moves his own chair over, allowing the immortal teen to move further away. Sandy tries to calm the enraged tooth collector but she simply shakes off the gesture.

"_Through breeding the contained spirits to mortal captives I discovered it was possible to produce an offspring. Those that were allowed to survive displayed the abilities of both the immortal and mortal parents, some even looking like a human mortal. Out of the seven mortal type children two displayed the abilities and likeness of the elemental parent. When those offspring were sexually mature they were mated." _North stops his narration as Tooth suddenly gives a roar, her anger barely controlled.

"How _dare_ they do that!" she roars, wings beating at the air harshly. Jack quickly stands and skirts away from the angry tooth fairy while Bunnymund glances worriedly over at Sandy and North who are equally shocked at the outburst. Jack watches the fairy closely, his staff held loosely but ready to counter any attack.

"Why is she so angry?" Jack whispers to Bunny who cocks one long ear backward to where Jack is. The Pooka makes a few signs with his large paws, hoping Jack would understand the universal sign for 'wait' and 'later'.

"Tooth, you need to calm down." Bunny tries to reason, his words causing the female guardian to whirl around. Usually bright and cheerful violet eyes have now darkened to a deep maroon, her lips pulled back in a vicious snarl. The smaller fairies flutter around their mistress, chirping at her as she rages.

"Tooth? Tooth, you're scaring the little Tooth Fairies." Jack states softly and the maroon eyes snap to the winter spirit. The fairy seems to be coming back to herself, sanity chasing logic around in her gaze but the distraction is all Sandy needs and before the others can move the golden sand rains down on the fairy Queen. With a final snarl the usually placid and happy guardian of memories slumps downward, her wings beating slowly. Bunny moves quickly, grabbing the slight woman and placing her gently into her chair before giving the smaller man a reassuring nod.

"What the _hell_ was that all about?" Jack suddenly asks, holding his arms up in exasperation. North purses his lips and with a glance at the others gestures for Jack to come closer while Bunny and Sandy stretch the sleeping fairy Queen out on a sofa.

"Toothiana's mother was a member of a race called the Sisters of Flight, female winged warriors of the greatest skill. Her father was a mortal hunter, renowned for his ability to track and his way of honoring the animals he hunted. Her childhood was… turbulent because of this." North explains without going into too much detail. Jack casts a look back at the sleeping fairy and simply nods and returns to his seat, curling his legs up to his chest and his hood over his head before simply waiting. North watches the reaction worriedly but doesn't remark on it as Bunny and Sandy return to the table and continues reading, with a loud clearing of his throat the Russian continues.

"_The first mating yielded an offspring but the infant was killed by its parent before observation could begin properly. The second mating produced another offspring and the infant was removed to prevent the culling. Shortly after the birth and removal the female elemental was found expired in her cage and the male in bad enough condition to warrant removal from the program." _

The silence lingers in the room as the master toy maker pushes onward

"_The offspring displays the abilities of a winter spirit—the cold having no effect and it displays the ability to mimic ice and also shows the abilities of a nature spirit—the hide of the offspring mimicking the patterns found in nature. Although it learns basic commands issued through pain and praise I have yet to conclude if the creature is indeed intelligent or just displaying instinctual responses for survival."_ Bunny snarls a curse even as Jack makes a sound akin to a moan while Sandy simply shakes his golden head sadly. North gives the room a moment to collect their thoughts and refresh his parched throat with a long haul from his stein of specially mixed coco, the biting sting of the top shelf brew burning down his throat.

"_A year has passed and the creature is showing human type intelligence, including being able to learn a multitude of languages and speak them clearly. The creature seems to display female attributes but I am wary of investigating further due to the increase in its violent nature. This merged elemental is constantly contained and barely handled due to my advanced age."_

Bunnymund snorts harshly and picks at something on the tabletop. Jack curls up further into himself at the mention of the winter abilities while Sandy simply rubs his eyes with his hands.

"_Year five, my advanced age has left me unable to attend to my creation. Assistants do not last long before its insatiable hunger brings about the death of those caregivers; their bodies found to be almost mummified with fluids removed completely. No wounds visible on the bodies. Due to the increasing danger I have ordered for the creature to be walled up behind a partition of human made stone and mixed materials. I do not know if the creature will live or die, for it is the offspring of two immortal beings and my own curiosity. I fear for the mortal world should it ever be released." _North concludes softly and places the translated parchment down on the table before slumping back into his chair.

"Obviously it lived and it escaped." Bunny states, using one claw to tap on the tabletop to punctuate his words. Jack glances over at the peacefully sleeping Tooth before adding his own opinion.

"They never found the little girl who went missing from the town though."

"It could be, that when fed it only takes the fluids. I do not know when this was written but it had to have been centuries ago due to the language. Early Cyrillic letters… if it had been that hungry for so long…" he trails off with a shrug. Sandy makes several symbols over his head and North answers with his own theory.

"Perhaps the place the experiments took place in is somewhere near the town. Makes sense no?" Jack's head shoots up in alarm, the hood falling off to reveal wild silver hair sticking up from the static.

"What!?" he shouts, leaping to his feet. "We have to stop this thing! The kids of Burgess are—"

"Special to us all Jack. But we can't just go out halfcocked against this thing mate. This isn't Pitch; this is something _none_ of us have dealt with before." Bunny interjects, moving to intercept the headstrong teen but Jack quickly spins away from the Pooka.

"We can't just let it eat its way through the town!" he shouts, a painful croak causing him to clutch at his bruised throat but the anger burning in the teen's eyes are clear.

"Bunnymund is right Jack. We cannot just approach this without plan. You have warned the children to stay away from the forests and have done all you can to protect them from places where they'd be taken. Now we use our heads and plan out a way to deal with it." North placates, bringing up the fact that Jack had ruined the sledding hills and the skating ponds, effectively cutting off the children's ability to find winter enjoyment in the forests. Jack begins to protest but the golden hand of the small dream guardian stop him and the fight leaves the winter spirit.

"Where do we begin?" Bunny asks once assured that the impulsive winter spirit wouldn't race out alone to confront the creature. North pulls out several more rolls of parchment and spreads them across the table, his words doing little to assure the others that this is a fight they can win.

* * *

Later that night the guardians finally split up after several hours of working at plans and looking at maps. Jack and Bunny had helped form a type of search area around Burgess but the team of warriors made little progress in how they were going to handle the creature. Sandy had left to perform his nightly duties while Tooth was preparing to leave as well. She wasn't upset with the others for putting her to sleep and upon waking quickly asked for everyone's forgiveness. Tooth had left the globe room to find her fairies and to prepare to head back to Asia.

"Come along girls, we have a lot of work to do." She states with a small smile as the smaller fairies flutter around, chirping happily at their mistress's return.

"No, no I am fine now." She returns to a chirped question and turns around to head back up to the upper levels of the workshop but stops short. Standing directly in front of her Jack Frost simply stares, his blue eyes lacking their usual mirth. Tooth sends the smaller fairies on without her before working up the courage to speak to the youngest spirit.

"They told you huh?" she begins sheepishly, nervousness causing her fingers to tremble slightly. She wasn't angry with North for having told the elemental about her past, knowing that it was done out of necessity but she couldn't help but feel a little annoyed to be the reason the playful spirit isn't smiling.

"My father was a farmer. My mother was a seamstress." Jack suddenly states, his words clipped and to the point. The abruptness of the admission catches the fairy off guard and before she can respond the silver haired elemental continues.

"It doesn't matter what your parents were, it only matters what they taught you to become." He finishes and promptly spins on his heel and walks away, leaving the fairy dumbstruck for a moment before she smiles softly and gives a shout for her fairies.

* * *

Author Note: I wanted the interaction between Tooth and Jack to not be awkward. I will have you know I looked up Tooth's backstory and hoped I summed it up simply enough. Anyway, thank you for reading and I will update again next weekend when I get home from work!


	5. Chapter 5

Sin with a Grin

Summary: An ancient darkness is drawing children into the forest leaving the Guardians to fight a creature that doesn't need to be believed in to exist. Sequel to Where there is a Flame.

Author Note: So sorry for the long wait. Work wrapped up quickly (with me breaking a toe—the yearling didn't want to walk in the snow and mud and decided walking on my foot would be a better option) and I'm back down at school for my final semester and already I have been assigned an 18 page senior paper on whatever horse topic I want. I am sorry to say that this chapter might not live up to the wait you fine people had to endure. I apologize in advance.

* * *

Chapter 5

Six weeks flew by as the Guardians worked furiously to track the extremely elusive creature. Six weeks in which three more children disappeared from towns close by to Burgess leaving behind mourning families and communities in panic. Parents demanded the authorities _do something_ when the last child; a boy of only five wandered away from his mother while they window shopped for her eldest daughter's dress. In the four minutes between the boys wandering off and the mother's frantic cries the young boy with the bright red mittens and cheery red cheeks was gone, whisked away to never be found again.

It enraged Jack and sent the elemental into a self-imposed routine of patrolling each town, his blue eyes constantly scanning for any sign of the creature.

Jack hadn't slept in well over four days, his naturally pale skin taking on an unhealthy grey pallor while beneath his eyes dark black bruising has taken up residence. The child looks haggard and worn out but the determination and unspent frustration keep the teen's jaw square and eyes narrowed.

The elemental wouldn't allow another child to go missing

So he continued his patrol, moving through each town like a silent torpedo and complaining adults in his wake. News stationed reported high wind advisors of record proportions since the teen started his circuit, weathermen puzzled by the uncharacteristic amount of cold wind for the end of February. Although Jack took on the solitary task of guarding the towns the other Guardians continued trying to work information out of the other spirits, Sandy's nightly chats doing little to help beyond spreading the word of the new threat. Tooth continued with her work, sending out her fairies to retrieve the lost teeth and provide the children with rewards, the reports from her fairies summing up their nights with a simple 'no strange activity'. North occasionally asked MiM for help only to receive blank answers that left him more frustrated. Bunnymund took it upon himself to watch for the winter spirit as well as continue to prep for the upcoming spring holiday that he (as well as the others) hoped would bring _some_ joy back to the children who seemingly had their whole world shattered. Occasionally the Pooka would coax the exhausted spirit down to the ground just long enough for him to force the teen to eat and drink _something_ before he was off again. Every time the white haired spirit allowed himself the precious moments to scarf down the chilled vegetable broth and tepid water Bunny's heart sank a little more. Jack wasn't just running off fumes, his body was starting to cannibalize the hard won flesh he and the other's had worked so hard at putting back onto the narrow frame. Thin as a whip to begin with the elemental managed to pick up some lean fat deposits since becoming a guardian but those hopeful chunks were gone, leaving the teen narrow and sickly thin once more.

"Jack, why don't you take a break?" Bunny attempts, eyeing the teen as Jack takes a long haul off the water skin, his throat moving rapidly to take in the moisture. With the last of the water drained the winter spirit hands back the skin before pushing himself to his feet, using the hooked staff for leverage as his legs shake unsteadily.

"No." he growls out, expression hard and jaw set once more. Since he'd begun the around the clock watch Bunnymund has noticed Jack's personality switch. Gone is the mischievous glint in his ice blue eyes, the pull of a devil-may-care smile now replaced with thinly pressed lips and anger swirling in the ever darkening blue eyes. The Guardian of Hope can only watch as the teen swallows convulsively and sways for a moment before giving a soft call to the wind, holding his hooked staff above his head.

A soft breeze teases the fur on Bunnymund's arms for a brief moment

Jack frowns and calls once more, a little more authority in his voice

Nothing

"Yeah, well screw you too." Jack states irritably while glaring upward at the invisible force of nature that is gently blowing by. Bunnymund silently thanks the forces and quickly points out the obvious.

"Look mate, even your ally can sense your exhaustion. You can't help anyone if you're so out of your skull you can't think properly." Jack stares at the lithe rabbit for a moment, his jaw set and shoulders slumped slightly. Fine tremors cause his body to shake and shimmy beneath the clothes, his bare toes curl into the snowless earth. February thaw was already taking place, the rapid change in the Earth's internal temperature causing the ground to warm and for Spring to begin clearing away the cold, dead season of winter.

"Perhaps it will go to ground, since it seems to be primarily a winter spirit." Bunnymund hypothesizes, trying to fill the silence overtaking the clearing as Jack simply continues to curls his long toes into the soil, wincing at the feel of the moist earth squelching between his toes.

"I remember this… when I was mortal. Standing in a field with my f-family, barefoot beside the oxen—the dirt between my toes and covering my fingers as I helped break the Earth and plow for fields." Jack suddenly provides; his eyes unfocused and far away as he speaks softly. Bunnymund simply listens, the fact that Jack is sharing something of his memories stunning the warrior into silence. It wasn't a secret that the immortal had analyzed his memories, but what those memories contained the elemental guards fiercely. Three hundred years of a mainly solitary existence did little to help develop the winter spirit's social skills, that and the constant abuse and neglect bestowed upon him by others of his kind forced the child to never reveal a weakness.

"Jack.." he begins, taking a step closer to the teen when Jack's body suddenly tenses. Bunny, seeing the rapid change quickly reaches out with all his senses, the stink of darkness and decay perfumes the wind. Jack snarls out a curse and swings his hooked staff around before dropping into a defensive stance, his blue eyes scanning the area. Bunnymund gives a roll of his shoulders and quickly retrieves his boomerangs from their sheath, holding them up and ready to be released. The forest around the clearing darkens considerably, an unearthly stillness and silence replacing the sounds of nature around the two guardians.

A low humming

Bunny's ears swivel madly, trying to pinpoint the source of the tuneless sound but he can't zero in on a single area. Beside him Jack's breathing changes from calm and even to a rapid tempo, his hands jerking and body shuddering. Bunny watches in horror as Jack falls out of his fighting stance and brings both hands up to his ears, the solid wood of his stance hitting the side of his skull with an audible _thwack_ but Jack doesn't seem to notice.

The humming continues, louder and picking up in speed.

Bunny gives a shout as Jack's body shudders forward a step, his legs moving seemingly of their own accord. Jack tries to fight it, his own voice rising to drown out the tuneless sounds. Jack's cries spur the Pooka into releasing his weapons before diving onto Jack's seemingly possessed body, pinning the lithe form to the ground.

The humming stops for a brief moment but the Pooka doesn't relish the moment, he quickly brings a balled fist down on the ground in two rapid, solid strikes and a large enough tunnel opens up beneath Jack's body. The teen is still screaming, his words and pleas barely discernible but Bunny doesn't try to make sense of them, his eyes shoot upward as his weapons fly past him into the darkness of the tunnel. A tunnel this size doesn't seal as quickly, the sheer size requiring a lot of energy to create and to reform but Bunny pours all he's got into the soil and roots around him.

Just at the edge of hole a figure appears a dark shape with bone white skin. Bunny gives a snarling shout and releases two exploding eggs but the creature quickly maneuvers away. The dark being leans over the rapidly closing tunnel. Wicked, sharp teeth in a too wide mouth grins down at the Pooka, thick bony prominences where eyes should be give the creature a wicked appearance as stringy, gnarled black hair moves in thick patches.

"Hello dear _bunny_." The mouth twists, eliciting a piercing scream from Jack who is writhing in the dirt of the tunnel, his white hair pressed firmly into the loose earth as he rolls and lashes out. With a roar of anger and frustration Bunnymund launches one more exploding egg, which succeeds in sending the creature backward and quickly finishes sealing the tunnel, familiar darkness and the smell of wet earth overtaking the stench of decay and wickedness. Jack writhes once more, his body contorted and sweaty but the gut wrenching cries have stopped.

"Damn." Bunny breathes, running one paw over his ears as he takes a moment to contemplate what the _hell_ just happened. Jack has stopped moving his boneless form still and silent on the floor of the tunnel, once white hair now dark brown from the loose dirt and mud. Spectacular bruising is beginning to blossom where the teen had whacked his head with the staff, the darkness contrasting sharply with the natural pale pallor of his skin. Bunny heaves a tremendous sigh and gently scoops the teen up in his arms, saddened by the lack of weight.

"Get you cleaned up and set right Jack, and then we're heading up to North." Bunny states, maneuvering easily through the tunnels to the warmth and protection of the cheery Warren, the stone golems rotate their gigantic heads in welcome and several messenger Egglets hurry over only to be sent away with a firm hand gesture. Settling Jack against the plush green grass the Pooka sits back on his haunches, still trying to collect his thoughts and wrap his struggling mind around what exactly just happened. Closing his eyes the large warrior takes a deep inhale of the clean and clear air of his home—his sanctuary.

_But for how long? _

The thought clouds his moment of happiness and calm. The idea that this.. _thing_ could intrude into his _home_ and destroy the peaceful calm is troubling. Reopening his eyes the Pooka looks around his Warren, monitoring the progress of egg development and painting, the health of his plants and greenery before returning his gaze back to the out of place elemental amongst the greenery and rebirth of spring. Pale, sickly and cold the blue and brown clad teen is the very essence of the death season, but yet at this moment with his white hair taking on a brown hue and his pale skin also dusted with dirt the teen looks as if he'd simply fallen into a relaxed slumber, not an exhausted sleep of a spirit trying to do the impossible.

At this moment Bunnymund can see the _mortal_ side of Jack Frost, the side that each of them still have but have long since warped and shaped to fit their existence as guardians.

"He's a child…." Bunnymund states suddenly and out loud as his brain connects the dots. With a curse the Pooka quickly scoops the exhausted spirit up and launches himself into the nearest tunnel that would get him to Santoff Claussen the quickest, his mind cursing louder with every step.

* * *

Author Note: It is freaking COLD up here! Like cold without a damn reason (no snow), cold to the point where riding classes were being cancelled in the morning. I have an image of the creature in my head but sadly my brain isn't allowing me to draw it out, so please feel free to use your imagination. Also, I will try to update again soon but no promises! Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

Sin with a Grin

Summary: An ancient darkness is drawing children into the forest leaving the Guardians to fight a creature that doesn't need to be believed in to exist. Sequel to Where there is a Flame.

Author Note: My night riding class was cancelled due to freezing rain/sleet and since it is located up on a mountain. I am finished with my homework –BIO—and basically thinking about my fictions I'm trying to write. This one and a Hansel and Gretel one, which has turned into a… WTF is this monstrosity type of situation. So yeah.

* * *

Chapter 6

"You're saying Jack can be lured by the creature?" Tooth surmises as she reclines against the plush cushions of the oversized chair in North's study. Bunnymund had arrived just as Tooth was finishing her report of the fairies findings—or lack thereof and was present for the retelling of the encounter. Jack, having woken up part way through the journey there had excused himself to get cleaned up. Phil accompanied the teen into the private guest rooms above North's study with just a soft grunt and hand signal to the toymaker. Phil and his life mate Janis had basically adopted the elemental spirit and usually saw to any of his needs when he was at the factory for any kind of guardian function.

"Yeah and let me tell you, it is creepy as sin too. _And it bloody talks_." Bunny emphasizes with a shudder, remembering the cruel twist and cold edge to the words. North stokes his beard as he thinks, lips pursed as he thinks. Silence falls upon the room, comfortable but foreboding as any answers as to _why_ and _how do we stop it_ become ungraspable. Jack returns then, escorted by Phil who is carrying a tray of fruit and drinks for the others as well. Clean and dressed in another set of clothes Jack has returned to his pale, white haired self and plops himself down on the couch with an audible groan.

"Where are cookies?" North mutters absently and the elves that had been scurrying underfoot quickly disappear, their bells chiming in their haste to escape the toy maker's fury. Bunnymund has to smirk while Tooth changes her laugh into mock cough before sipping at the tumbler of sweet nectar.

"Eat your fruit North." Tooth commands and the large Russian grumbles but plucks a berry from the bowl, earning him a grunt of approval from Phil.

"Hush up you." North grouses and the Yeti simply shrugs in response before handing a bowl of cut pineapple to Jack, who brings his hands up to refuse but rethinks the motion as Tooth shoots him a withering glare. With a long suffering sigh the teen takes the fruit and pokes at it for a moment before plucking one chunk out and into his mouth. Tooth continues to glare until the elemental takes another one and seems to be reaching for another before turning her attention back to the problem at hand.

"Now what?" she asks, once more sipping at her nectar nervously. North crunches loudly on a slice of potato before pointing at the pale elemental currently licking the sticky juice from his fingers audibly.

"You, can no longer go out without escort." He states and the sound of protest from Jack is almost deafening as the teen lurches to his feet.

"**What!?**" he roars, the temperature in the room dropping quickly as Jack's anger goes unchecked. The elemental is balling his fists and squaring his jaw, eyes having gone dark blue and stormy a display that often reminds the other guardians of exactly the type of power Jack contains. Luckily the hooked staff is resting near North's desk and Jack would have to maneuver around the bulky Russian, Bunnymund and Tooth to get at it.

Yet, the damage Jack can cause without it can be just as devastating as well

"Calm down Jack." Bunny tries, moving into the spirits field of vision but Jack simply moves around him, staring at North with an intensity he'd only seen during the final battle with Pitch.

Pitch….

Bunnymund's eyes widen a fraction and his ears shoot up as he whirls to look at North, his next words causing everyone in the room to come to a full mental stop.

"Has anyone asked Pitch about this?"

The temperature goes back to a low, but manageable level and Jack simply stares at him as does North and Tooth. Bunny gives a brief laugh and quickly tries to explain his thought process.

"Pitch might know something about this.. this thing. I mean, it's obviously causing _fear_."

"Do you think Pitch could recruit it?" North asks and that draws the Pooka up short, his words halting in his throat. Tooth takes to the air, moving rapidly about as she also starts to work through the idea.

"No, I mean… would Pitch try to recruit it?" she asks and North simply shakes his head and raises his shoulders.

"I say we _ask him._" Jack snarls and begins to move toward where his staff is leaning, tripping himself on the long hem of his pants several times. Cursing colorfully the teen finally stops and rolls up the cuffs a bit before continuing to his destination, clearly intent on just searching out the Nightmare master on his own.

"Hold up mate, calm yourself and think about this." Bunny tries to reason but Jack quickly spins on his heel, pointing the hooked end of his staff at the Pooka.

"No. _Waiting_ is how we lost children Bunny. _Waiting_ is the reason why we will lose _more_. _Waiting_ isn't doing any good." He remarks and Bunny realizes how much more there is to the immortal than he allows people to physically see. Jack is a calculating individual with enough knowledge in his head to put the pieces of what's going on around him together quickly. It was how the kid managed to survive on his own for three hundred years, the cunning and calculating mind of his.

"We know that Jack. We know we can't afford to wait. But none of us know where he is." Tooth reasons gently and the teen seems to calm for a moment, taking her words into consideration.

"Yes Jack, first we need to find him. Then we can speak to him." North agrees and starts to head to the miniature map of the world, a flat replica of the larger globe in the main foyer of Santoff Clausen.

"Where would he have fled?" Tooth asks anxiously and North taps the map with a thick finger in a few places while Bunnymund adds a couple of his own. Jack offers up a brief suggestion of the same place his old lair use to be and North glances at him.

"I.. that's where I found the trapped Baby Fairies." He explains and Bunny can see the hesitation in his voice mirrored in his eyes. The place where he'd found his memories and was late to help with bringing the eggs to the surface.

"How did you find this place?" North presses, curious now. Jack fumbles with the hem of the near black hoodie and finally tells them what took place that day, an account that had up until now never been told. Bunny can't help but feel his gut twist knowing that he'd been so cruel to Jack.

"I will go with him." He states firmly and Jack merely shrugs.

"So, we're going now right? Alright, let's go." He states and is already moving towards a window when Bunny grabs the back of his hoodie and hauls him backward. Jack gives a snarl of protest but Bunny ignores it.

"No, you are going to eat something. I am going to pack some supplies. We will leave within the hour. I mean it Jack, you take off without me I swear you will regret it." Bunny emphasizes and shoves a bowl of fruit into the teens hands with a stern look. Jack returns to look sourly but complies, taking the frozen banana from Tooth's offered hand and biting into it in a show of annoyance.

"Watch him Tooth, if he looks like he's going rouge knock his teeth out." Bunny orders and the fairy tries to make her best threatening face but quickly gives it up for simply handing the immortal a glass of water and sitting with him on the couch. Bunnymund pulls Phil aside and gives him a list of things he would like gathered and since the Yeti knows the fortress better than any other being (including North at times) he's the Yeti for the job. Phil gives a few grumbles and then heads out, giving Jack an affectionate rub on the head as he walks by. Jack grumbles out an indignant _'hey'_ but doesn't take aim with his staff.

"Do you think talking to Pitch is a good idea?" North asks, pulling the large Pooka off to the side. Bunny's ears fall and he glances back over to where Jack is slowly freezing Tooth's nectar and sighs.

"We have to do _something_. Now that we know the kid is affected by this thing, we should be exhausting _every_ avenue to stop it. I have a feeling that the children are just the opening act… this thing getting its claws on Jack is the headliner." Bunny states and North seems to take in his theory and accept it.

"Question… what is a headliner?"

"You _really_ need to get out mate."

* * *

Author Note: wow, these chapters are getting shorter. I am sorry guys, but I write the amount that I can. I'm icing my toe at the moment and channel surfing (nothing is on). I'm off to work on the Hansel and Gretel fic… Thanks for reading and drop me a review if you deem it worthy!


	7. Chapter 7

Sin with a Grin

Summary: An ancient darkness is drawing children into the forest leaving the Guardians to fight a creature that doesn't need to be believed in to exist. Sequel to Where there is a Flame.

Author Note: I have the best reviewers. Honestly, the amount of folks asking about my toe is simply humbling. During my last week at work I was taking the yearling from Florida out to pasture and she decided that walking in snow and mud was unacceptable and walking on the human was a much better idea. She stepped fully on my little toe, breaking it then scraped down the side of my boot when I made a funny noise. Due to the nature of my job and what I do here at school I don't stay off it as much as I should so it's taking a while for the swelling and pain to go away. Anyway, that's the story on that so if you see me complaining just ignore it. Just me being a big baby.

* * *

Chapter 7

"I wear your grand-dad's clothes." Jack sings softly as the pair move along the ill kept pathway. Bunnymund cocks and ear as the elemental hums and sings aloud beside him.

"I look incredible." He continues the words and tune catching. In some ways Bunny is grateful for the young spirits singing, the words keeping the unnatural silence of the forest around them from becoming too oppressive.

"I'm in this big ass coat." He continues, gently tapping the birch sapling with his staff as they pass. It was an agreed tactic to mark the way to the lair.

"From the thrift shop down the road." He finishes, continuing to hum the tune instead thumping his staff against another tree, petrifying the bark with an instant freeze to leave behind a mark that will be forever branded into the tree.

"How did you come up with this idea Jack?" Bunny questions and for a moment Jack simply cocks a narrow eyebrow at the Pooka before answering.

"I watched Hessian mercenaries hot brand the trees as they moved through the forests as a means of keeping an unnoticeable trail during the 1700's. Only Hessian scouts could identify the marking and the marks last pretty much forever, like a scar remains long after the wound is healed as a reminder on the body." Jack replies, pleased to have someone who interest in his knowledge.

"That's impressive Jack." Bunny remarks as Jack beams back at him with a large grin and the Pooka can see the youngster's self-esteem rise a notch. It was a rare extension of trust on Jack's part when he reveals a part of his past to another guardian and Bunny doesn't allow the extension of trust to go without reward. In reality Jack Frost is just a boy seeking the attention and approval of those around him, secretly pushing himself to earn a kind word of gesture from the other spirits. He doesn't ask for much and the fact that Bunny's kind words and interest in his talents is enough.

"I would watch and then freeze over the marking." Jack states without emotion a hard edge to his eyes as he stares at the frozen section of the tree, fingers twitching at the memory.

"You got rid of their markings? Jack—what if" Bunny questions, his mind racing to take in the admission of abject cruelty. It was something the Pooka should have expected; secrets were kept as a way to deflect the true reason behind an action.

"The Hessians were _bad_ people Bunny. It was a time of war and I could only watch as small farming towns—inhabited by mostly women, children and the elderly suffer. They had no defense against the Hessian soldiers, able bodied men were sent off to fight. So I helped fight back in the only way I knew how." Jack snaps, the pleasure at being commended for his actions erased as his jawline tightens and his shoulders square in an attempt to make it seem like Bunny's questions don't hurt.

They do. They hurt badly but Jack has gotten use to the pain of disappointing the older warrior and ploughs on, his words tight with barely contained emotion.

"I froze their bodies to the ground at night, disguised barely frozen bodies of water as safe, snow covered ground. When they fell through I watched them drown, sputtering and calling out for help and finally gasping for air as their bodies drifted beneath the surface. Their horses I allowed to remain alive, their dogs and the cattle they used to transport carts and goods, the animals survived to find new owners but the men; I couldn't allow them to kill without recourse." Jack stops his tirade and continues onward, his shoulders tense and movements stiff with anticipation. Bunny watches the wayward immortal's back for a moment, sadness welling up and curling into a heavy ball in the pit of his stomach.

"Jack mate, I'm not judging you." Bunny states softly after catching up to the teen. Jack's eyes narrow a fraction but that is the only response as the two continue their journey in silence.

* * *

The passage of time can be judged by the movement of the sun overhead and by the direction the tree shadows stretch out in. To Bunnymund this archaic way of telling time is second nature, even underground in his tunnels the Pooka can usually estimate the general time on the surface.

His stomach rumbles softly, alerting the grey-furred warrior to the fact that it is noon time without even having to look upward. He continues on however, moving beside the other guardian while Jack randomly taps trees.

His stomach rumbles again, louder and longer this time

"Hungry Bunny?" Jack asks distractedly, his attention focused on something. Bunny cocks his ears in the direction the elemental is looking and sniffs at the wind before sneezing, the scent tickling the insides of his sensitive nose.

"What's the matter?" he asks softly, his body tensing as Jack changes the grip on his staff.

"Not sure." He answers, the lack of emotion chilling but not discouraging. Bunny continues his hyper vigilance and reaches for one of the twin boomerangs. The forest around them is silent, the sounds of insects and birds dropping off quickly.

"It's not the creature." Jack informs randomly, the tight grip on his staff turning the wood to ice as the air around the elemental becomes abnormally cold. Bunny, unaffected by this continues to watch the area surrounding the two.

"Oh no, but it is a creature of a different kind." A smooth voice calls from somewhere ahead of them. Bunny bites back a hiss as the spirit the lightly cultured voice belongs too curls gracefully out from the shadow of an old Hemlock tree. Burning amber eyes set in the ashen grey skin set Bunnymund's body singing with tension. Pitch Black simply cocks his head to the side slightly and watches the pair of guardians, long hands clasped behind his back in a lazy position.

"Pitch, we need to speak to you." Jack calls in a tone that is akin to two acquaintances meeting after a period of not seeing each other.

"I wondered what would bring two Guardians of Childhood to my door step. Good of you to send the formerly neutral party, I hate him slightly less than I do the rest of you." Pitch jibes, his tone never changing but the hiss at the end making his dark grey lips peel back to reveal his viciously pointed teeth.

"Pitch, there is something _taking_ children…" Jack begins, refusing to be goaded into a meaningless conversation even as Bunny was ramming up to fire back a scathing retort of his own. Pitch's yellow eyes narrow a fraction and his sharp grin fades a bit but he recovers quickly, plastering wider gleeful smile on his narrow face.

"Why yes, I felt a shift in my fear radar not long ago. It was delightful to feel the fear of children brewing and bubbling back to the surface." He states, bringing one hand up to analyze a rough spot near his nail with disinterest.

"We wanted to know if you have seen the creature doing it, perhaps taken sides with it?" Bunny snips, gaining the Nightmare King's attention once more and Bunny watches as the false disinterest fades into a look of disgust.

"You wound me Bunnymund." He retorts, lips edging down in a mock pout before his yellow eyes snap back to Jack.

"Riddle me this, what good does the fear of a child do me if that child _dies_ from that fear?" Jack doesn't respond right away, his icy eyes narrowing a fraction.

"The fear doesn't feed you if you can't continually cause it." The elemental provides and Bunny flinches backward a step when Pitch suddenly appears in front of the elemental, his long grey skinned fingers locked in fists at his sides. Jack barely flinches away, his jaw tightening as he meets Pitch's predatory gaze head on and unflinching.

"Your accusations of me being linked to the monster are unfounded Guardian. I cause fear in children because life is about overcoming those _fears_ to grow. One does not grow as a person if they twitch and spasm in fear at every shadow and sound. Evolution doesn't occur if there isn't a threat to cause the change. I exist because children need fear to keep mortals moving in the right direction. I exist because without fear, people would be content with their lives. Without _fear_ there is no reason to question or change." Pitch states scathing words directed at both of them but his eyes locked on those of the elemental. He allows his words to sink in before stepping back casually, both narrow hands up in a peaceful gesture.

"I could feel those spikes in fear right before the creature did whatever it does. Painful spikes cut short." Pitch rubs at his chest absently; his eyes dimming slightly and for the first time Bunnymund can't help but feel a little bad for the Boogeyman.

"Will you help us?" Jack questions and Bunny can only wait for the answer.

"No."

"WHAT! You said yourself that a dead child is no use to you! Why not help fight it?" Bunny roars, taking a leaping step closer to Pitch. The grey skinned spirit simply glares at him and brings his hand up to stop the Pooka's tirade.

"Yes, a dead child is useless to me. But I believe you've forgotten one key point _Guardian_. I may not be as powerful as I once was but I still have the power over one thing. Myself. My decision to stay out of this is simple. I am not a member of your merry little band, nor would I want to be. I will not help you because I wish to see children fade at the hands of the creature, I will not help you because I am not playing at being something I am not. You forget E. Aster Bunnymund. I am not a nice spirit." The vicious smile accompanies a backhand that sends the Pooka sliding back a few paces, amazement at the power of the blow stunning the warrior for a moment.

"If I hear anything however." He states, looking at Jack before gliding away into the shadows once more, a single arm rose in a mocking farewell. The forest around them remains silent as Jack eases himself out of his fighting stance and looks at Bunny. The Pooka idly rubs the area on his cheek before giving the immortal a nod.

"Well, that went well." Jack states with a smile when the two are far enough down the path to where birds have begun singing and the insects are moving about.

"You _seriously_ think that went well?" Bunny rages and scoffs in disgust while shaking his head. Jack gives a laugh and stops the larger warrior with a hand on his shoulder. Bunny stares at the blue ringed nails and pale fingers for a moment before staring at the elemental.

"He agreed to help us Bunny."

"What? When did you hear that exactly? After he slammed me in the face or before when he said—and I quote 'no'?" Bunny rages, bringing his paws up and using his digits in a mock quotation, fury and annoyance writhing in his stomach and making his blood boil.

"Exactly right after he hit you. He's agreed to help us when he feels a spike. He can pinpoint the spikes and we can respond to them." Jack clarifies and continues to walk away. Bunny rubs at his aching cheek for a moment before moving to catch up to the lithe winter spirit.

"Wait, you got all that from a 'if I hear anything'?"

"You just have to understand the meaning behind the words."

"Pfft, I still don't trust him."

"I'm sure he's saying the same thing."

"So why agree in such a roundabout way?"

" 'Cause he still hates you."

"He still hates you too."

"Naw, Pitch still hopes one day he'll be able to turn me."

"….."

"I'm not going to turn Bunny; it's not the Dark Side."

"Well, that's good."

"Besides, you guys have cookies. I like cookies."

"You are a strange one mate."

* * *

Author Note: So, I like Pitch's little rant. I mean in my head I see it as we all have fears growing up. My fear was always the basement (still is actually) but as I got older I realized I would have to walk into my fear to do my laundry so I sucked it up and found ways to not be afraid. As humans I believe we learn from our fears and sometimes fear is the best teacher. I don't do stupid things (as much) now as an adult than I did when I was a kid. But yet, fearing the outcome of something would never have led me to get my dream job or go back to school. I dunno. It's a rambling mess this author note.

Cyber Cookies to anyone who can guess the song Jack is singing. Till the next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

Sin with a Grin

Summary: An ancient darkness is drawing children into the forest leaving the Guardians to fight a creature that doesn't need to be believed in to exist. Sequel to Where there is a Flame.

Author Note: Yes, I know this hasn't been updated in a long ass time. Yes I know, I am a horrible person and I'm not going to lie, the long hiatus between updates might continue to happen. My last semester is kicking my ass hardcore and I've been stressed out more than is natural so you will have to forgive me. I am currently working on an 18 page paper on the PMU trade and how it affects the industry. This also includes trying to pass Biology, Equine nutrition and working 2 jobs. Complete insanity.

* * *

Chapter 8

She wove through the tight cracks on an upper window of the fortress, her body molding itself to a narrow profile easily. Once inside she gives a rough shake and replaces her black body to its normal shape, snorting briefly before inhaling deeply. Her master gave her this abhorrent task, instructing her to carry his message to a fearless place, a place where the air was filled with happiness and positivity.

Now she understood why her master bid her good-bye and gave her the upmost honor of a name.

She—Keelie, was to die while performing this last request.

Keelie was proud for this great honor.

With one deeper inhale the nightmare flips up her lip and analyzes the multitude of scents, sifting through the sweet smell of cookies, the sharpness of spice and the dander of fur before identifying the hint of freshness she and her siblings associate with the winter spirit. Keelie violently shakes her black head and stomps on the windowsill before jumping down to the polished wooden floor and breaking into a ground eating lope. Although Keelie has never been to the great fortress of Santoff Clausen she travels easily amongst the working Yeti's and foolish elves, keeping to the shadows. The distinct lack of fear in this place stings and sears, the grains of black sand beginning to fade away as she moves but the nightmare doesn't allow the knowledge that soon her body will fade to keep her from accomplishing her master's bidding.

"I still don't put any stock in Pitch's help. It's been four days and nothing." The accented tone of the creature who smells of dander resonates from the same bright room the scent of her quarry is in. Keelie slides to a stop and peers around the corner, glowing red-yellow eyes scanning the area for any shadows that she could utilize but allows that small hope to fade. Keelie inhales deeply and pinpoints the target and springs into movement, her long stride bringing her to the leg of the winter spirit and up his leg to stand on the chilly shoulder.

"Oh hey, whoa." The winter spirit gasps, having been startled into realizing Keelie was waiting. The nightmare snorts loudly and paws at the pale warrior's shoulder and nickers loudly.

"Uh… hey Bunny, hate to burst your bubble but…" Jack allows his words to fade off and simply points to the black nightmare sitting on his shoulder. The argument that was about to take off between North and Bunny draws to an abrupt halt when the two older guardians turn to stare at the small fearling. Baby Tooth lets out a series of chirps, her small face twisting into a mask of distaste at the sight of the black creature. Keelie snorts loudly in the direction of the fairy and follows the agitated movements with her glowing eyes before deciding the tooth collector wasn't worth the energy. Instead she scrambles for balance as the narrow shoulder moves abruptly and allows the chilly, pale hand to pluck her from her perch and deposit her on the large table. Keelie paws at the surface for a moment before returning her attention back to the large blue eyes that are currently level with the tabletop and her small form.

"Alright girl, what have you got for us?" the winter child asks gently and Keelie focuses her energy inward and unhinges her jaw.

"_Frost, as I agreed here is my help. I felt a spike in fear mere moments before I sent the nightmare; I was near the lower field in Burgess." _Pitch's cultured voice vibrates from the body of the sleek black mare, his message clear and to the point. Before the message can fully finish the guardians is a mad scramble from the four older members moving quickly to organize, gather up weapons and shout out orders. Jack simply keeps his attention on the nightmare a sharp stab of regret and sadness slicing through his gut as the creature's dark sand begins to evaporate. The nightmare gives a heaving sigh as the red-gold of her eyes fade slightly and waver.

"It was a suicide mission for you to come here wasn't it girl?" Jack asks softly, moving to stroke her rapidly shrinking form with a single pale finger. Keelie gives a soft nicker in response, the cool touch of the elemental's finger helping to stave off the stinging pain of her impending demise.

"You served your master well." He states and Keelie pulls her neck up and cranes her head in a posture of pride at having achieved her mission. Jack narrows his energy to his fingertip and gently channels the essence of winter into the fading but proud body of the small nightmare, watching as the black and off-blue blend together. The nightmare doesn't fight the chill seeping through her form but welcomes it and within a few minutes the red-gold of her eyes fades to an everlasting sapphire.

"I hope your master rewarded you well for your sacrifice." Jack whispers to the now frozen minion of fear, standing proudly on the table top in a frozen mimicry of art. Wordlessly the elemental places the frozen nightmare into the pocket of his hoodie and turns to face the waiting group of warriors. North has a sad smile pulling at the edges of his mouth but the man's large eyes are filled with pride at the younger spirit's actions while Bunny and Sandy give him equally reassuring nods. Tooth wipes a stray tear from her cheek and seems to be resisting the urge to hug the elemental.

"Uh… Let's go kick some soul sucking ass?" He prompts and North lets out a bellowing battle cry that sets his bones to shuddering and blood pounding with the anticipation of finally doing his duty as a guardian.

"TO THE SLEIGH!" North bellows and the group heads in that direction, Bunny's groans and complaints drowned out by the footfalls and fluttering of wings.

* * *

The area of Pitch's reported spike was on the outskirts of the sledding field, a reasonably secluded hang out for the older kids in the town. Jack had often moved amongst those teenagers and watched as they passed the amber bottles of cheap liquor and puffed away on the multiple stock of nicotine and other forms of narcotic. North set the sleight down alongside the dilapidated building while Jack poked around the building, peering through the opening that constituted as a door.

"What is that smell?" Tooth questions and tries to move the offensive odor away from her nose with a few delicate waves of her hand. Bunny takes a long inhale and instantly begins to cough, his large eyes watering around the edges at the putrid stench.

"Smell of death." North remarks coldly, the chilled tint to his tone causing Tooth's face to harden and Bunny's ears to fall against his head. Sandy extends his sands outward, the golden stream moving amongst the shrubs, trees and melting snow.

"This is where Pitch said he felt the spike… so where is it?" Jack snarls, twirling his staff in annoyance while stomping around the perimeter of the site. Bunny cocks an ear in the elemental's direction and resists the urge to shiver as the temperature around the team drops dramatically. Jack is tensed and breathing shallowly, the hoarfrost stretching out hungrily from his bare feet. Narrow, pale toes are curled into the soft soil as he works.

"You have missed him." The cultured voice calls from the shadows of the neglected building. Bunny and North whirl too find Pitch standing just outside of the rotting wood and vines, his grey skin abnormally pale.

"How long?" Jack suddenly demands, bright blue eyes snapping open, the promise of violence twisting the immortal teen's features. Bunny grabs Tooth's slim arm, stopping the fairy from moving any closer to the Nightmare King or Jack. North adopts a position in front of Sandy's turned back, the dream master focused solely on creeping the area for any sign of the child of creature.

"The passing of time is such a tedious thing for immortals." Pitch responds smoothly while taking a downward glance at his nails and curling his lip before flicking something off the tip before returning his predatory gaze back to the gathered guardians.

"Pitch, a child has… _died_ and you're…You're talking in riddles!" Tooth snaps, the irritation clear in her words as the fairy queen's temper flares. Pitch spares the iridescent guardian an elegantly cocked eyebrow before returning his attention back to Jack.

"The child has not died. As my nightmare told you, I was in the area." He purses colorless lips and sniffs loudly.

"Where is the child?" North demands, still standing in front of the smallest guardian but his twin sabers are held in ready for an attack, the long beard blowing slightly in the meager wind.

"He ran home. A bit weak; _deliciously_ scared and with an embarrassingly large stain on the front of his pants but very much alive and still breathing." Pitch reassures and steps a little further into the light, revealing his tattered and heavily abused state. Jack watches with narrowed eyes and schooled features, his blue eyes scanning the lithe figure before finally settling on the king's eyes.

"You fought him." It is not a question

"Indeed. I would like to say 'you should see the other guy' but I believe in this case… I am the 'other guy'." Pitch breathes and Bunny has to shove down the sudden feeling of shame at having assumed Pitch would stay out of the way and simply ride the high of children's fear.

"However, I am sure Sanderson can pick up its trail. I was able to open its skin with my scythe before it overpowered me." Pitch declares and moves back into the safety of the shadows, his lingering gaze challenging and hostile but none of the guardians were moving to give him trouble.

"Which way did he go?" Bunny presses with a less aggressive edge to his voice, arms crossing over his chest in his typical fashion. Jack doesn't say anything and Tooth has returned to watching Sandy's golden sands with more interest than before.

"He went to the south-east. My mares have reported seeing his trail end in a series of ancient caves in that area." Pitch responds, wincing slightly as he reopens a fresh wound as he brings a slender and elegant arm up to point in the direction Sandy's golden stream is indicating. North and Bunny glance down at the diminutive guardian who gives a stern nod.

"Then we will head there." North states and as a collective unit the four older guardians start off. Jack lingers for a moment, his blue eyes tracking the progress of his team for a second before zoning back in on Pitch. The Nightmare King holds his gaze easily, unflinching beneath the weight of the arctic blue.

"You stepped in, saved the child." Jack states, the unspoken question hanging between them. Pitch allows a slow, sarcastic smile to break across his face, the pointed teeth sharp and vicious.

"And your point Frost? I already explained myself." He retaliates evenly and waits for the young guardian to continue but the elemental simply reaches into his long pocket and pulls out a figure. Pitch's eyes narrow in suspicion then widen in shock as the frozen statuette of the dedicated nightmare he had sent to retrieve the guardians. Wordlessly Jack holds out the proud looking creature, his pale fingers curled kindly around the nightmares blue and black body.

"She did her job well." Jack remarks as Pitch takes the statue from the elemental's fingers and stares down at it with a mixture of remorse and shock.

"They always do." Pitch states firmly and glances up to find the white haired elemental gone, the retreating figures of the _five_ guardians just far enough down the trail that their bodies are mere shadows amongst the forest. Pitch glances down at the nightmare in his hands, long fingers tracing along the rough but beautiful contours. His grip tightens and he raises his arm up, intent on smashing the image into the ground, obliterate the faithful creature.

But he stops and brings his arm down once more

"Keelie." He breathes sadly and allows himself to sink downward into the rotting basement of the house, his body taking on the temperature of the shadows as he is comforted by the stench of decay.

* * *

Author Note: Hopefully I will be able to update again on break (which is next week). I got my copy of the movie and have already watched it once and I will probably be watching it again tonight at work. So, hope this renewed some faith. Please drop me a review if you deem it worthy!


	9. Chapter 9

Sin with a Grin

Summary: An ancient darkness is drawing children into the forest leaving the Guardians to fight a creature that doesn't need to be believed in to exist. Sequel to Where there is a Flame.

Author Note: Hmm. I love how the world likes to kick me in the teeth. Every damn chance it gets. My 'spring break' was literally 'truck in the shop for 3 days, losing my job before I even begin it, emailing back and forth with a perspective job and setting up interviews, finding out my Bio-Prof isn't coming back so I have a new Prof 5 weeks till the end, 10 pages of my paper due on Thursday…. Oi Vey.

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Chapter 9

Jack caught up with the older guardians quickly, falling into step beside the group as they purposefully trail behind Sandy and his streams of gold. Drawing up beside Tooth he glances over at the fairy queen and finds the nimble woman's face stern and set in a scowl, violet eyes hardened and narrowed. For the first time the young elemental can see the Queen from North's stories, Toothiana is a force to be reckon with without doubt. Although weaponless and slight in build Toothiana shouldn't be mistaken for a weakling or afraid to fight. Ahead of his North runs along, his head held high and sabers clutched in well-schooled hands. It always surprised Jack how nimble the large guardian was and how quickly he danced with his swords in battle. Sandy is a dangerous expert with his sand whips, the strength he possesses well hidden within his tiny, silent body. Bunny, although prideful of the fact that he is a hand-to-hand combat extraordinaire lives up to his chest puffin, his battle honed instincts lending to the natural grace and speed of his Pooka heritage.

Jack can't help but feel relief at being considered an ally to the four warriors.

He'd hate to be their enemy or object of their battle skills.

"Wait." Bunny suddenly calls, his body stopping quickly to stand statue still. The troupe stops and turns to watch the Pooka as his long ears swivel and turn quickly and Jack moves into a better position to look at the surrounding forest himself, staff held is a tight grip.

"Do you smell that?" Bunnymund whispers, the bridge of his nose scrunching with each inhale. North quickly draws in a large lungful of air and releases it silently before taking in another, his blue eyes cutting to the surrounding brush.

"Indeed." He states and places a large hand on Sandy's small shoulder and wordlessly directs the dream master to a narrow thicket to the group's right. Sandy purses his lips for a moment and analyzes the hibernating bushes and sapling trees before slowly casting his sands out into dry leaves and decaying foliage.

"Is that his lair?" Tooth asks icily, the tone of her voice leaving no room for argument as she stares at the thicket, hostility pooling openly in her usually bright eyes. Jack gives the forest one last cautious look before turning to watch the golden sands as it shifts and moves about the area. He is about to comment when a low tune catches his ear, the words clogging up his throat. Jack blinks quickly, knowing the tell-tale sign of the creature's humming. He tries to say something, _anything_ to get the words out but the rasp of his breath loud.

"Dear Sir, I write this note to you to tell of me plight and at the time of writing, I am not a pretty sight.." the tune turns into words, a familiar song from long ago. Jack fights, mentally screams but his body complies with the unspoken command and he turns.

"..Me body is black and blue, me face a deathly grey and I write this note to say why Jackie's not at work today." The voice sings, the tune coming effortlessly as Jack stiffly moves away from the group, his spine flexing like the colorful treat North once served.

"Jack? Where are you going?" Tooth calls and Jack mentally weeps as he fights against his body.

"Jack stop!" North bellows and Jack wants to obey, his movements jerking and stiff as he struggles against the tune and the humming. He is ten feet away from the group and toes brushing the dead grass at the edge of the neatly cut forest path.

"It's the creature!" Bunny shouts and suddenly a weight against his back throws the lithe teen forward. Unable to control his fall or put his arms out to protect himself the teen slams into the still hard soil, striking several large stones sharply with his head. Above him he can hear Bunnymund cursing loudly but the humming has stopped, the digging pain of claws embedding themselves into his skull around his ears drowning out the creatures insidious song. The strange 'nothingness' that took over his limbs retreats, leaving the pricking pins throughout his body that makes the teen whine and twist, trying to relieve the persistent pricks of pain.

"Jack!" Bunny bellows, his paws pressed firmly to the teen's head as he maneuvers the winter spirit around so he can see the kid's face. Jack inhales sharply as the claws dig in further but allows the green-eyed Pooka to assure himself of the teen's returned state.

"We've got him back." Bunny states, his green eyes shifting upward and to the side before returning to look at Jack. Bright blue iris' have returned from the depthless _black_ they had been when Bunny tackled the teen. Jack struggles for a moment, his movements coordinated.

"Wh-what happened?" he asks loudly, causing Bunny to grimace and pin his sensitive ears back.

"He got ahold of you again mate." Bunny states and moves his paws marginally so the teen could hear better. Jack winces at the movement and Bunny shifts his grip from the clawed tips to the pads of his paws, apologizing as blood begins to trickle out of the holes and stain the spirit's hair.

"I tried… I tried to say something…" Jack moans in frustration and pats the ground for his staff. Tooth presents the hooked staff that had flown from the teen's grip when Bunny tackled him and gives the teen a slow smile and a gentle pat while analyzing the sluggishly bleeding scrape on his forehead.

"We need to take precautions that won't happen again." The Queen states and looks at North with a cocked eyebrow ridge. The inventor shoots the regal fairy a look before moving to crouch over Jack before pursing his lips.

"He needs something to block his ears." North responds, accent thick and blue eyes analyzing the situation.

"Obviously mate, he won't get anything done with me holding my paws over his ears." Bunny huffs and reads the symbols Sandy is producing before nodding.

"I have the solution." North proclaims and stands and reaches into the pocket of his large trousers and pulls out the pocket lining. Deft fingers use the edge of the saber to slice through the material, severing it from the man's pants. It only takes a few minutes for tinkering until finally the inventor is back beside the teen and gently prying back Bunny's paw only to shove the modified and twisted material into Jack's ear, causing the teen to wince and bit back a yelp. Without waiting for the teen to adjust the pressure in his ear the bearded man does the other ear, completely deafening the immortal. Bunny sits back and watches as Jack brings up a hand to rub at the impromptu ear plugs and inspects the twisted and knotted material with pale fingers before batting them away.

"You have to leave them alone." He commands but Jack simply narrows his eyes and continues to pick at the scratchy items. Bunny once more bats his fingers away and then ruffles his blood stained hair before leaning in close.

"Leave them be Frostbite." He states sternly and Jack finally hears the command and drops his fingers with an audible sigh of annoyance. Tooth giggles slightly at the sight but schools her features when he gives her a long suffering look.

"It will have to do. Let us see if we can find this _ublyudok_, he couldn't have been far away to affect the boy." North states and Sandy nods and returns to casting out his sands once more. Bunnymund helps the woozy elemental to his feet and stands close by in case he needs help while Tooth watches their backs.

"I know it's going to be hard, but at least it won't be able to hijack your mind." The 'hopefully' isn't said aloud but Jack would be a fool to think he was impervious to the creature's song because of two pieces of material stuffed into his ears but he can't help but agree. Sandy indicates the direction Jack's body had been heading and the group moves off like a well-oiled machine. Tooth stays at the back of the group with Bunny and then Jack, North and then Sandy leading the column. It went without saying that Jack—being audio impaired is the weakest member of the group and should be protected by Bunny with North and Sandy being the strongest warriors amongst the group up in the front. Toothiana takes up the rear position without comment, her senses not as strong as the Pooka's but good enough for her to sense an attack from the rear. They travel cautiously for a mile before Sandy stops and call back his dream sands. The golden streams return eagerly and present their master with an item from the trail ahead. The group gathers around the short guardian as the dream master wipes away stray pebbles of sand to reveal an elaborate scroll made from freshly stripped tree bark and tied with braided black hair.

" 'cause that's not eerie as all hell." Bunnymund remarks and pokes at the delicate bark with the edge of his boomerang. Jack winces slightly as the clear fluid found just beneath the bark on all trees sticks to the smooth surface, pale green and still actively working.

"Seems harmless enough." Bunny shrugs and with a shared look North accepts the rolled item, cursing at the sticky wetness as it coats his fingers. Jack grows frustrated as he watches North's mouth move but the words are jumbled and incoherent, the meaning behind his creasing brow undisclosed. He growls to himself and moves to take out the plugs but Tooth's slim fingers stop him, her dark purple eyes filled with a simple command and promise of punishment if she isn't obeyed. Jack puffs out his cheeks in frustration and complies, focusing on trying to pick up any trace of the other's as they talk.

"This is not good." North says after he has finished reading the scroll, the words etched into the pliable bark with a sharp object. Bunny tries to grab the scroll but Jack launches himself forward to snatch the item from the toymaker's fingers. Although plugged the teen hears Bunny's curse but ignores it for wrenching the bark open.

_**I will have him.**_

_**He will be mine. **_

_**Brothers reunited, devoured **_

The words are sinister and hold a deadly promise that sets Jack's nerves on edge and makes the hair on his arms stand on end. He risks a glance at the others while skillfully rolling up the scroll and shoving it into the pocket of his hoodie.

"We need to get back to the Pole. Work on a way to keep Jack safe and come up with a plan." North surmises grimly.

* * *

Author Note: Update while _watching_ ROTG. So, like I said updated will be sporadic till the end so please don't be discouraged if you don't see anything for a while!


	10. Chapter 10

Sin with a Grin

Summary: An ancient darkness is drawing children into the forest leaving the Guardians to fight a creature that doesn't need to be believed in to exist. Sequel to Where there is a Flame.

Author Note: Heading into NYC for the day tomorrow! So excited!

* * *

Chapter 10

"I don't like them." Jack protests with a whine, poking at the newly created ear plugs North had crafted.

"I don't like Zombie Jack." Bunnymund counters around a mouthful of raw greens across the table. Around him the older guardians are partaking in a late lunch and throwing out ideas between bites. Jack ignores the frozen fruits on the plate in front of his spot, instead choosing to pick up and play with the rigid plugs.

"Jack, you need to eat." Tooth presses around a specialty salad made of noodles, grains and some kind of seasonings Jack had never seen or smelt before.

"I'm not hungry." He states, plucking the matching plug off the table top and balancing it on the tip of his finger while channeling the cold into the material.

"I will not freeze." North reminds around a plate mounded with a Russian dish, surrounded by various cookies and a mug of a sharp smelling amber liquid. Jack sighs and puts the plugs back on the tabletop next to the plate of fruits and slumps back into his chair, spine turning to mush as his tense body relaxes into the plush cushions. He listens as North and Tooth exchange ideas and Bunny interjects, his eyelids beginning to feel heavy as the cushions envelop his body. Although he doesn't allow himself to drop off entirely Jack gives his body permission to rest and his eyelids drop completely. Around the table the older Guardians share a happy smile as the youngest member shifts and slumps further into the seat, a slight frost developing on the arm rests and upholstered back.

"Good job Sandy." North indicates with a raised glass in the small guardian's direction. Sandy purses his lips and shakes his head before producing a large X above his head.

"Kid's been strung out, he's exhausted." Bunnymund comments and can't help but smile when Jack mutters a few low words and his brow furrows before relaxing out. Sometimes it is hard to imagine the elemental ever slowing down long enough to take a breath before riding the winds off to another adventure.

Always moving, always active, that is Jack Frost.

Perhaps that is why it bothers the Pooka so much to see the youngest spirit go rigid and stiff, the bright blue mischief filled eyes going blank and dark. When the creature has ahold of the elemental's mind Jack becomes like putty, a poppet moving to its master's will. Now, in his long life Bunnymund has seen _mortals _controlled by others, their minds warped into believing their actions were warranted because someone with a bigger personality told them it was fine. In those cases, the ones being controlled were _lost_ and _confused_, cast to the outside of society and open to any cause that they felt they could have belonged too.

But Jack isn't one of those lost and lonely souls looking for something to belong too.

At least, not anymore

North gestures silently too Sandy to add some dream sand to the rapidly disappearing immortal. The diminutive spirit gives a quick nod and gently casts out a thin stream of golden sand and shakes a small amount out over the teen's head. The reaction was instantaneous and Bunny winces as Jack become completely boneless and slips below the edge of the table and the _thud_ of a solid body hitting the wooden floor follows a moment later.

"Phil, could you place Jack in my workroom. On couch by the window?" North calls and the large Yeti gives a bark of understanding and with a delicacy belaying his size, Phil is able to maneuver the sleeping immortal into his massive arms and lift him out from under the table. Jack makes a face and seems to struggle slightly then settles down, fisting his fingers into the Yeti's long fur. Phil makes a content sigh and rumbles deep in his chest before walking out of the room.

"He is _really_ good with kids." Tooth comments with a happy sigh.

"Phil needs practice; the little Yetma's will be arriving in a few months." North proclaims happily, a large smile breaking out onto the large guardian's face.

"Oh REALLY!" Tooth squeals and flutters up from her chair as Phil returns from the other room only to be bombarded with the colorful fairy queen.

"Hey, right on ya." Bunny also cheers, raising his glass to salute the father to be. Phil gives a low rumble at his boss but North dismisses it with a wave of his large hand. Phil had always been the toymaker's right-hand Yeti and when Phil and Janis chose each other as life mates it was the first ceremony North and the other Guardians had ever been invited to observe and partake it. So it seemed only natural that they also share in the excitement of the addition.

"What'd I miss?" A sleepy voice asks from the doorway Phil had just returned from. Jack is leaning against the carved wall, blinking his eyes rapidly and swiping a sluggish hand against his face.

"Not fair little man." He slurs and jerks forward, intent on retaking his seat at the table. They all watch as Jack plops down into the chair and picks at a frozen hunk of Kiwi before putting it in his mouth and sucking on the tart juices. Sandy sends up a few rapid signs but the teen simply swipes at the air, indicating the betrayal has been already forgiven.

"Phil and Janis are going to be having a Yetma in a few months." North informs proudly and Phil affirms the announcement with a long rumbling bark. Jack stops sucking on a second Kiwi and turns to look at the long armed mammal.

"That's a little one right? Like a baby?" he asks slowly and Phil gives a rumble.

"With Janis?" he continues and Bunny watches as Jack's whole demeanor changes from groggy and sleepy to alert and happy. Blue eyes shine with mischief and joy, a small smirk etching across the frozen spirit's face.

"That is so great Phil!" he laughs and happily slaps the Yeti's paw with his own small hand as Phil moved past the table. The happy mood that moved through the room took everyone's attention off the dark situation.

Until Jack stops eating and stares at the tabletop.

"We can't let this thing get Phil and Janis' baby." He states softly, bringing the happy mood to an end and returning attention back to the creature threatening the children they all care deeply for.

"We won't." Bunny promises firmly and beings throwing out ideas of how to finally get ahold of the spirit, promoting more ideas from the other four.

* * *

"This is a horrible plan." Tooth comments worriedly as North shushes her nervous words. The current plan came from the mind of Sandy, of all people. Jack quickly agreed to it, fearlessly committing himself to being bait and brushing aside the concerns of the older members for catching the creature.

That is how Bunnymund finds himself huddled in the hollowed out standing dead tree, North behind a group of moss covered boulders and Tooth cleverly hidden amongst a plush patch of vibrant early spring flowers. Sandy huddles down behind a smaller series of boulders close by Jack, who simply sits on one of the grey stones, staff held loosely but body tense and ready. It was useless for the older guardians to attempt to contact the teen; the ear plugs effectively cutting off the spirit's hearing. It was the one condition of the plan that Jack balked at, but with how easy the creature was able to control his mind the older guardians couldn't allow the teen to be used against them.

It seemed like hours, the sun moving steadily towards the west and just as Bunny was sure he was going to lose feeling in his paws forever he _felt it_. The darkness and the smell of decay and wet earth permeated the area, putting the Pooka on alert. Jack noticed it too, the lithe body growing tense and sharp eyes narrowing as they scan the area. Hoarfrost climbs and stretches along the ground, the temperature dropping quickly as the two winter spirits become closer in proximity.

One deranged and unnatural, the other a true hearted guardian

"Hello dear _sibling_." The chilly voice laughs and then the creature is there, standing before Jack in the clearing. Sharp angles and grey, slick skin the creature's smiles, revealing thick, jagged and viciously pointed teeth that are greyed and stained with blood and dirt from behind cracked bloodless lips. Thick eye ridges add to the creature's sinister look and Bunny recalls his first look at the thing, how he struggled to describe. Long, stringy black hair falls about the impossibly narrow shoulders in great snarls.

"Dearest brother…" it hisses and slowly reaches out to Jack who makes no movement with one wickedly clawed hand. Bunnymund tenses to spring into attack when Jack moves suddenly, his staff coming up with a wicked explosion of ice and bitter cold, catching the creature in the face.

"WE are _NOT_ **FAMILY!**"

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Author Note: OH SNAP! Hope you all enjoyed this. We are drawing closer to the end of this story….. but, no worries. I have several more ideas in the early stages written down in all my notebooks. Please leave a review if you deem it worthy! Oh and... Yeti offspring don't have an offical name, so I made one up!


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